Mazreku: Dialogue makes sense only if the parties want to contribute to citizens' interests and EU integration

Professor of European Law Avni Mazreku emphasized, commenting on the latest round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels, that the process is meaningful only if both sides decide to work for the benefit of their citizens and for EU integration.

"I believe the dialogue should continue, but it is pointless if representatives of the two governments meet in Brussels just to learn the agenda set by some EU technocrats who have no solutions for the situation on the ground," Mazreku told Kosovo Online.

He highlights that the crucial question is whether it makes sense for Kosovo and Serbia to meet to discuss open issues.

According to him, the two sides should sit down and discuss pressing topics, but the dialogue loses its meaning if these meetings are merely procedural.

He believes that both sides should focus on the interests of their citizens and the European perspective.

"I think both sides should focus on the interests of their citizens. Secondly, they should view the perspective of the respective countries as part of the EU perspective. If both sides understand these two points, the effects will be concrete," Mazreku notes.

He points out that Belgrade and Pristina should exclude the dialogue process from their domestic politics, where it is, he observes, used for electoral or populist purposes.

"When I speak about the interests of citizens, I mean that they sometimes differ from the interests of the political class. For example, the dialogue issue should not be used for electoral or populist effects but should be focused on the interests of citizens. Furthermore, the two governments must clarify whether their national interest is EU integration. If this goal is clear to them, then the effects of the dialogue will be more concrete," Mazreku concluded.