Maliqi: The Washington Agreement was practically not implemented, many of its ideas are still valid

Political analyst Shkelzen Maliqi stated to Kosovo Online that the 2020 Washington Agreement was not implemented, as shortly after its signing the government changed, with Albin Kurti becoming Prime Minister and Vjosa Osmani becoming President, who opposed the agreement.

"It was practically not implemented, but many of the ideas contained in the agreement are still valid. A large sum of money was supposed to be invested in Kosovo and Serbia, but now that likely won’t happen. The circumstances are now different," Maliqi said, commenting on Osmani’s recent statement during her visit to the US, in which she claimed the Washington Agreement had been implemented.

Maliqi points out that since the signing of the Washington Agreement, the European Union has, in a way, rounded off the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina by “formalizing an international agreement that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accepted without signing.”

"However, efforts were constantly made to prevent its implementation, because the key question remained whether there would be recognition, and what kind of recognition, of Kosovo by Serbia. That question is still open," Maliqi said.

He believes that Osmani’s remarks made in the US, including her statement that it was “clear from President Donald Trump’s remarks that he made an exceptional contribution in preventing the destabilization of our region in recent weeks,” which US Special Envoy for the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue Richard Grenell called a manipulation of Trump’s words, should be understood in the context of her personal political positioning, as she is seeking re-election.

“For a year now, she has been mildly criticizing Kurti. She is also trying to renew ties with the US and the West in general, although that should not be based on her personal interests, but on the interests of Kosovo and all its citizens,” Maliqi said.

He also observes that both Trump and Russia frequently mention Kosovo.

“There is a willingness between Russia and the US to negotiate. Trump had promised to resolve the war in Russia and Ukraine within a week, but now he is facing difficulties. On the issue of Kosovo, they seem to agree, it is a kind of ‘big game’ in the sense that a compromise is being sought for Ukraine, while Kosovo is already, in a way, seen as a settled issue,” Maliqi concluded.