Latinovic: Kallas conducted personal screening, strong message to Pristina authorities that de-escalation is necessary

Former ambassador and member of the Forum for International Relations, Branka Latinovic, told Kosovo Online that the most important message from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas—who visited Belgrade and Pristina—is that continuing the dialogue is her personal priority and that she is committed to it.

"She came merely to reaffirm the continued engagement of the European Union—both her personally and her team—in what she calls the normalization process between Belgrade and Pristina. The visit itself was brief, considering the number of interlocutors she met with, and she didn’t have much room for elaboration. She likely came to conduct a personal screening, as well as one for her team, based on which some proposals will be made and probably announced once the real dialogue begins," Latinovic explained.

Still, she emphasized that Kallas sent a strong message in Pristina to those currently in power and those who will hold power in the future—that de-escalation is necessary, and that with the current approach, the preconditions for dialogue cannot be met.

"The visit to Belgrade and Pristina was a continuation of the regional tour started in April, and the statements Kallas made were rather sparse and, as we often say, ‘wrapped in diplomatic packaging.’ Likely, this was because she held the press conference in Belgrade alone and didn’t want to make any statements that the other side wouldn’t be able to respond to. That certainly explains the brevity of her remarks in both Belgrade and Pristina. In Pristina, she practically had no relevant interlocutor, given the state of the institutions there and the failure to constitute the Assembly after numerous votes, which is also a concern for the international community. So, her options were limited," Latinovic assessed.

Regarding Kallas’ statement in Pristina that "equal partners" are at the table—which is a point Pristina insists on—Latinovic commented that this was a message that dialogue must include both interested parties.

"They’ve conducted the dialogue this way until now, with neither side being sidelined. If she visited Belgrade, she also went to Pristina, and vice versa. Meetings in Brussels have included both sides. So she likely meant that form of participation," Latinovic concluded.