Hoxha: De facto recognition is what Pristina wants to hear, and not even the US insists on de jure recognition

After the visit of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Pristina and Belgrade and the messages she conveyed, it is clear that diplomatic pressure is increasing on both sides, Leart Hoxha, a political analyst, said for Kosovo Online, pointing out that what Pristina wanted to hear was de facto recognition, which implied the implementation of the Brussels Agreement and its annex from Ohrid, while he claimed that not even the United States insisted on de jure recognition.

Hoxha believes that it is evident to everyone that the meetings in Brussels have failed, but the fact that neither side has rejected the proposal means that it is no longer just Brussels pressuring Pristina and Belgrade, but also directly Berlin, Paris, and Rome.

"If Serbia and Kosovo do not behave carefully and responsibly, it will cost them in direct relations with Paris, Berlin, and Rome, which will be much more costly than in the case of Brussels and the European integration process, which is often quite abstract", Hoxha said.

He thinks that Von der Leyen's messages were expected.

"This time, the diplomatic pressure is much stronger. Both sides have been quite responsible and were unable to reject what was offered to them by envoys and what was offered to them in direct meetings last week. So, I think this pressure will continue, become more concrete, and perhaps we will have something more concrete during November", Hoxha said.

Ursula von der Leyen stated in Pristina that she expected de facto recognition from Serbia, which she had clarified during her visit to Belgrade, emphasizing that it meant the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement.

"De facto recognition is what Pristina wants to hear, but it is all essentially within the framework of the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid annex. So, if it is stated that both sides will act in accordance with what is envisaged in the United Nations Charter if they will resolve all conflicts and disagreements peacefully..., that basically means de facto recognition. Even the Americans do not require de jure recognition, but if the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid annex are implemented as they should be, that is de facto recognition. Pristina wants to hear it as such, and that will make it easier for everyone for Pristina to work on the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, which I expect Pristina to try to package as 'self-governance' or 'self-management' of the Serbian community here, but essentially, it is the CSM, and it was signed ten years ago", Hoxha explained.