Donic: The issue of the CSM and dialogue continuation will wait for US and EU alignment

Petar Donic, an associate of the New Third Way, stated that the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities is a priority for both the US and the EU, but that the direction of the normalization process will become clearer only after the appointment of US ambassadors to Belgrade and Pristina, as well as special envoys for the Western Balkans. He emphasized that suspending dialogue in such a situation would be detrimental to Serbian interests.

"Whenever there was no dialogue, the situation changed and worsened against Serbian interests, so suspending dialogue would certainly result in a worse position. Whenever there was dialogue, things improved. We saw that the Ohrid Agreement revitalized the dialogue. Dialogue is important and should continue," Donic told Kosovo Online.

Former US Ambassador to Belgrade William Montgomery stated in a Kosovo Online podcast that if he were dealing with the Kosovo issue, he would insist on the formation of the CSM and condition the continuation of dialogue on it.

Donic affirmed that there is no doubt that the formation of the CSM is "a very important issue" for the US administration, as it is the cornerstone of the future normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade.

"The issue of the Community of Serb Municipalities has been a priority for the past and current administrations. It is a very important issue for them. In the broader context of US and European policies, it is linked to the normalization of relations and is interpreted as part of Europe's ongoing strategy to bring both sides closer together," Donic said.

Much will depend on the further "positioning" of the EU, as well as the appointment of new US ambassadors to Belgrade and Pristina and the special envoy for the Western Balkans.

"Europe is still on its path to becoming a bigger 'player' and factor, and in that context, it is trying to maintain and strengthen its position. On the other hand, the US still plays a huge role. During Donald Trump's first term, we saw significant rapprochement, albeit in an economic sense. Trump has not yet appointed any key figures for the Western Balkans. We have no ambassadors, no special envoys, so it is still too early to determine whether there will be any change or shift in dynamics and acceleration until those special envoys and ambassadors are appointed. Right now, we have a lot of statements but no concrete actions," Donic explained.