Kallas: Elections in Kosovo are delaying high-level dialogue

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that the main topics of today’s meeting between EU and Western Balkan ministers in Brussels will be the implementation of reforms and hybrid threats. Regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Kallas pointed out that elections in Kosovo are delaying high-level dialogue, but that she is working separately with the leaders in order to continue implementing the agreements that have already been reached.

“We will discuss enlargement and what we can do to ensure they continue implementing reforms. We will also discuss cooperation regarding hybrid threats facing the Western Balkans and how to resist them. We have had good experiences and practices from Moldova, and we are now working with Armenia. The Western Balkan countries requested the same because they also see attacks on their democracy,” Kallas said.

She added that one of the topics would also be security and defense, citing cooperation with Montenegro as an example.

“We expect them to align with our foreign and security policy and to implement reforms,” Kallas stressed.

She also added that a meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister in a technical mandate Albin Kurti had been agreed within the framework of the high-level political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, but that those plans were halted by the new elections in Kosovo.

“We had planned high-level political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Both sides agreed to it, the leaders of both Kosovo and Serbia. But now we once again have elections in Kosovo, which are delaying it. However, I am working separately with both leaders so that we can continue implementing the agreements that have already been reached,” Kallas said.