Garic: CSM will be the key to the talks in Brussels; unlikely that Kurti will change his policy

Milos Garic, the editor of the Kosovo Online portal, said for RTS that there would be three interested parties in Brussels today: the EU and Washington together, Pristina, and Belgrade, each with their own wishes and expectations from the meeting. Serbia's position is first the CSM and then further talks, and this is a principled position based on honoring the signed agreements, Garic pointed out.

Garic says this is the moment in which the pressures and attempts from outside to achieve some kind of new agreement between Belgrade and Pristina have reached their maximum.

"Today in Brussels, we will have three interested parties: the EU and Washington on one side, Pristina, and Belgrade. All three parties have their wishes and expectations from today's meeting," Garic says.

According to him, it is clear that the EU and Washington want the new European Agreement to be quickly accepted and implemented.

"Kurti talks exclusively about mutual recognition, and Belgrade has a clear position: let's realize and implement what has been agreed and signed so far, that is, the Brussels Agreement and the CSM, which has been an obligation of Pristina for ten years according to the Brussels Agreement but has not been implemented. There are three different angles from which the parties will enter the talks, and it will be a difficult and tiring day for the Serbian delegation led by President Vucic. He is ready and knows what awaits him there," Garic stated.

In the previous days, we could hear a lot from both Washington and Brussels. Miroslav Lajcak said that he was aware that, in that case, we were dealing with two different realities when we talked about Belgrade's and Pristina's positions.

Garic says that the CSM will be the key to the talks in Brussels and that Serbia's position is such that it is clear that there is no reason to accept that the CSM is offered again as a concession in exchange for what is now expected from Belgrade.

"The CSM has been signed, and it must be implemented according to the letter of the agreement from 2013 and 2015. Neither Brussels nor Washington can believe that Belgrade would accept for the second time to be sold the story of the CSM so that Belgrade would be put in a position to agree to what is expected of Serbia. The famous agreement has points that encroach on some key interests and can be a framework for discussion rather than being accepted in a take-it-or-leave-it format," Garic stated.

A message is coming from Washington that now is the moment that Pristina is expected to implement the obligation on the CSM and that a constructive approach is expected from Belgrade.

"Belgrade says that it is ready to continue with a constructive approach. Vucic said in a conversation with Chollet yesterday that stability and peace are important to the Serbian state and that he will do everything to maintain them. All three parties will try to implement their interests and expectations," Garic adds.

Speaking about the letter from Scholz, Macron, and Meloni that arrived at the Presidency, Garic points out that this letter means additional pressure. He believes it is difficult to expect Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to change his policy regarding the rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

"He started to show signs of changing his approach, but he will not accept that the Serbs have a position in Kosovo and Metohija that will guarantee them a peaceful future," Garic stressed.