Latinovic: I expect Lajcak's successor to have a vision on how to conclude the dialogue

Former Serbian Ambassador to the OSCE, Branka Latinovic, stated that the selection of negotiators between Belgrade and Pristina falls under the jurisdiction of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and that there is certainly a list of potential candidates, but it is not diplomatic practice to speculate on their names before the selection, as is the case with Slovenian diplomat Borut Pahor.

"For me, as a career diplomat who is familiar with the procedures and mechanisms for selecting special envoys, it was surprising that the name of a potential candidate is being presented to the public. It seems that neither (Borut) Pahor nor Slovenia could resist what is happening in the rest of the former Yugoslavia. That's not the practice," says Latinovic.

She adds that it is not customary for diplomats interested in a position within the EU to disclose it.

"The selection of negotiators between Belgrade and Pristina falls under the jurisdiction of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. He is the one who chooses and decides, and it is confirmed by the European Council. Those are two instances," Latinovic explains.

She is confident that there is a list of candidates in the office of the current High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU, Josep Borrell, which will also be on the table of his successor.

"These are usually experts, those who are well acquainted with the region, have experience in diplomacy, and are familiar with the issues. It is a significant advantage if you speak the language of the country you are going to because you have a better chance of obtaining information yourself and, of course, interpreting everything that happens without relying on a translator," Latinovic specifies.

She warns that it is important for the person who takes on this role to have experience in negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"This is a very delicate and responsible job, and it definitely requires someone who already has experience in such negotiations. It would be good for someone to come in with a vision on how to bring this normalization process to an end, to help conclude this stage with a compromise so that the remaining items on the agenda could be resolved in a manner that does not cause dissatisfaction on either side. If either side is too dissatisfied, there will be no success. Formally, an agreement may be reached, but in practice, there will be no results, and then we will be back to square one," Latinovic believes.

Commenting on claims that Lajcak's successor should come from a large EU country that has already recognized Kosovo, Latinovic says that this is still in the realm of "wishes."

At the same time, she emphasizes that it won't mean anything if his successor comes from the group of EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo.

"That cannot be a condition. I would put that under the category of wishful thinking. We had a situation where both Lajcak and Borrell came from countries that did not recognize Kosovo, and that did not help us in any way. Therefore, an international official, a person selected for a position within international organizations, forgets the positions of the country they come from. They act based on the mandate they have been given by the organization that elected them and know exactly what they need to do, what they cannot do, how to behave, and to whom they should report," says Latinovic.

She adds that the special envoy is not accountable to the country they come from for any decisions they make but rather to the relevant EU bodies, namely the European Commission and the European Council, and that their work is subject to criticism.

"We have seen in this phase how some international negotiators, including American ones, but also Lajcak, have been publicly criticized for bias towards one side or the other," Latinovic points out.

Asked whether Belgrade and Pristina could influence the selection of Lajcak's successor through lobbying, the former ambassador to the OSCE is categorical that this is impossible.

"You don't lobby in these cases. I'll tell you about my experience from the OSCE when heads of missions are appointed. The chairperson is the one who appoints the head of the mission, of course, in broader consultations, but usually, it is someone whose candidacy is known once the parties are informed. If you have very explicit objections and disagreements, you can address them to the chairperson, who may take them into account, but he is not obliged to because he has discretionary power, and it is not subject to approval by the Permanent Council," says Latinovic.

She adds that if the strength of the arguments against a selected representative is so strong, then it is possible for the proposer to change their decision.

"If those objections are strong enough, then the chairperson will consider whether to send a person who will face closed doors in the country they are sent to, or if they want someone who will work intensively and effectively on the mission's mandate. It's the same here. There is no lobbying, and such lobbying can even be counterproductive. You may lobby for one person or another, but someone unexpected may be chosen, and then you'll find yourself in an awkward situation because you'll have to sit down with them tomorrow and negotiate on matters that are not easy at all," concludes Latinovic.