Joseph: Kosovo government missed an important opportunity in its approach to the Serbian community

Edward P. Joseph, professor at Johns Hopkins University, has assessed that the suspension of the planned U.S.–Kosovo Strategic Dialogue represents a negative development for Kosovo. He also argued that the Kosovo Government missed an important opportunity in its approach toward the Serbian community.

"It was certainly very unfortunate to see the United States suspend the strategic dialogue. This further reinforces the message I have been conveying—that all citizens of Kosovo, all communities, including the Serbian community, must be fully recognized. The Government had an exceptional opportunity, which it failed to seize, to send the following message to the Serbian community in Kosovo: 'Your capital is Pristina. Pristina cares about you. Belgrade does not care about you.' They missed that opportunity," Joseph said, as quoted by Ekonomia Online.

Speaking about the impact of the current political situation, Joseph drew a distinction between Kosovo's stability and its democratic development, stressing that Kosovo remains stable but that the current political deadlock is not a positive example of democratic progress.

"These are two different issues. Stability is one issue, while democratic development is another—they are two separate matters. I do not believe this affects stability, and I would not want to suggest otherwise, because I believe Kosovo is a stable country and a stable democracy. The Republic of Kosovo is such a state, and I support it, as well as Kosovo's accession to NATO, for which I have been one of the strongest advocates. As for democratic development, the situation is terrible. The answer is clear. This is not a good example of democratic development. It should also be emphasized that this is not a typical parliamentary deadlock, such as the one Belgium once experienced for an entire year, where there was an extremely narrow majority. Here, you have one party that has a clear opportunity," he said.

Joseph also commented on the proceedings before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, stating that he had no specific information about the course of the trial but expressing concern that there could be a conscious or unconscious incentive to deliver a guilty verdict against the defendants.

"Like everyone else, I am simply observing. I would say that I am concerned. I will not make predictions, but I am concerned that there could be, consciously or unconsciously, a motivation for this court to convict the defendants. Otherwise, how would they justify this years-long and extremely expensive process, their high salaries, their staff, and all of the institutional support? They have a substantial budget, and then you take former President Hashim Thaçi, remove him from office, bring him there, and in the end you have nothing? Not a single conviction? That is why I am concerned that this could become a conscious or unconscious motivation," Joseph said.