Kos: Finding new ways in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina if things are not working

The candidate for Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated today, during a hearing in the European Parliament, that progress is needed in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and that she expects the two sides to implement the Agreement on the Path to Normalization of Relations, but she emphasized that new ways must be found if things don't work, reports Blic.

Kos, answering the question about the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, said that it is formally in the hands of the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and the Vice President of the Commission, that is, Kaja Kallas, if she is elected to that position, and expressed her readiness to cooperate with Kalas when it's about dialogue.

"I will certainly work with her on this dialogue. On the other hand, given that I know this region and its mentality, we have already met and talked about it, if we are confirmed, we will cooperate in this matter," said Kos.

She pointed out that progress is needed in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and that formally "a lot has been done" and in that context she pointed to the achievement of the Agreement on the road to normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"And in the report on the enlargement, it is stated that we expect both Kosovo and Serbia to respect the agreement without additional questions. So my work will be even more inclined to move forward," stated Kos.

She added, however, that "if things don't work, we have to find new ways."

In this context, she quoted Albert Einstein that "doing the same thing every day and expecting different results is madness."

"I want to see different results," Kos said.

She added that we need to see what works because, as she stated, she is "sure that if there is a will, we will be able to move things forward".

However, as she assessed, the will is expressed verbally many times, "much more than action".

To the second question about the relations between Belgrade and Pristina and to the question of how she comments on the fact that during Trump's first mandate, the possibility of exchanging territory between the two sides was mentioned, Kos said that the exchange of territory was out of the question.

She added that it will be seen what will happen from January when Trump takes office, and that the EU must start relying on what Europe can and must do, and not on what other actors could do.

"We have to be strong, we have to make new decisions, make new partnerships. Let's believe in ourselves that we are capable of taking important, decisive steps forward, alone or with new partners. When it comes to exchanging territories, that is out of question. The European Commission and I, if I am appointed, will not follow these trends," said Kos.

When asked if she would advocate conditionality of funding from the IPA-3 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, Kos said that she would always stick to the rule of law and that if reforms or obligations are not fulfilled, there will be no money.

"Neither for Serbia, nor for Kosovo, nor for any other candidate country," pointed out Kos.

She assessed that Serbia has made progress in this regard, but that it has to do more and expressed the hope that the new methodology of the negotiation process will encourage this.

When it comes to alignment with the EU's common foreign and security policy (CFSP), Kos said that this is not a prerequisite for the enlargement process, but that she cannot imagine a country that does not harmonize 100 percent of its legislation, behavior or words with the CFSP becoming a member. EU.

When asked about the influence of the Trump administration, as well as Russia and China in the Western Balkans and the alleged "risk of the so-called Serbian world as a copy of the Russian world in the Balkans with destabilizing effects", Kos said that the very important question is how to fight against the influence of Russia and China in these areas.

"One very important thing, if the EU is not going to be there, someone else will be," Kos said.

She added that it is important for the EU to take into account what other countries are doing and what the candidate countries are doing and pointed out that the candidate's path to transition is already bringing huge changes.

Kos pointed out that if the most important principles of negotiations and the enlargement process, such as the rule of law, conditionality and merits, are applied, then the countries that want to join must also comply with that policy.