Gogic: Self-Determination wants the starting point of the dialogue to be Serbia's recognition of Kosovo

Political scientist Ognjen Gogic states that the Self-Determination Movement does not want to participate in a dialogue that does not lead to mutual recognition, but instead wants to impose formal recognition of Kosovo by Serbia as the starting point. Because of this approach, Gogic is not surprised by messages from Self-Determination that the negotiation process needs to be revised.

"When Self-Determination took over the government in 2021, they already promoted the principle of reciprocity as a new basis for dialogue and they have succeeded in changing the format of the dialogue, or rather, they have completely destroyed the dialogue that was conducted under the auspices of the EU. They wanted the dialogue to lead to de facto or de jure recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, preferably de jure, and to make that the starting point, meaning that Serbia first recognizes Kosovo as an independent state and then the open issues are resolved in a bilateral dialogue between two states that recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This has always been the policy of Self-Determination," Gogic tells Kosovo Online.

As an example of where this approach was evident, he points to the crisis over the dinar, during which Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti said it could be resolved by the National Bank of Serbia recognizing the Central Bank of Kosovo and then the banks of "two sovereign states" could regulate the issue. Another example Gogic highlights is the situation around the organization of Serbian elections in Kosovo in Serbian communities, when Kurti said it could be resolved with an inter-state agreement.

"He constantly, with every issue, even if it is technical, tries to tie it to the question of mutual recognition, which for him should be the first step in the dialogue, not some 'possible outcome,' which his predecessors in Pristina had hoped for. They will not return to this dialogue, which doesn't make sense because Kosovo is making unilateral decisions. Kosovo will remain outside the Brussels dialogue, which is dead as a format, i.e., a form without substance. There were attempts in the past months to reanimate it with meetings called by Lajčak, but this is just persistence on form, as no problem has been solved in the dialogue and it's only a matter of time before someone in the EU declares the death of the dialogue. It's also a question of courage, to state that a process has failed," says Gogic.

Regarding how he sees the further negotiation process, our interlocutor says that it can eventually be expected that after the completion of the elections for the European Parliament and the constitution of the new European Commission, it might offer a new platform for dialogue, because, as he points out, the main negotiator, even if it's Borut Pahor, does not mean much.

"The main negotiator needs to have diplomatic skills, but it is the member states and the European Commission that defines the format and can influence the parties. Pahor, like any mediator, cannot do this. Another moment are the American elections after which we will see if the new American administration will have a new approach to the dialogue, if it deals with it at all. It seems to me that both Belgrade and Pristina are looking towards November and watching how those elections will unfold and then position themselves accordingly, whether the Democrats remain or the Republicans come. Before that is resolved, one should not expect anyone to have greater initiative related to the dialogue," concludes Gogic.