Milenkovic: Messages from the EU on enlargement could encourage Belgrade and Pristina to be more constructive in dialogue

Marko Milenkovic from the NGO “New Social Initiative” told Kosovo Online that in recent days, EU officials have reiterated that the EU’s approach to the Balkans remains strategic, along with messages about EU enlargement. This likely instills confidence in both Belgrade and Pristina and could, in the future, encourage both sides to reengage more constructively in the dialogue.

Milenkovic points out that the dialogue needs new energy, renewed momentum, and a different approach, and that key elements the EU could have offered the stakeholders in this process have been lacking in the recent period.

“I believe that is the key reason we haven’t seen the expected level of engagement, constructive and strategic, from the actors here. I think this situation can change going forward. New formats would certainly be meaningful in that regard. It is important to change the approach,” Milenkovic said, adding that it seems the EU is currently trying to regain strength and energy, but also to offer something new.

He also emphasized that EU High Representative for Dialogue, Kaja Kallas, seems to have recognized the need to unify the EU’s approach toward the Western Balkan countries. In that spirit, some meetings with foreign ministers of EU member states have been organized, since in recent months there has been a slight imbalance, with some EU countries taking different stances compared to the majority.

At the same time, Milenkovic pointed out that the future of the dialogue will also depend on the approach of the United States, and that the Trump administration will likely be involved in the process.

“For now, we are seeing restraint on their part, as they have other priorities and areas of focus. Whether the US administration will shift its approach in the coming period and whether it will place greater focus on Kosovo and the Kosovo issue remains to be seen. That could also affect the EU’s approach, because, in the past, when this happened and when the Trump administration was more actively involved in the dialogue, it effectively excluded the EU from the process. So, there are still open questions about how and in what format the EU will be involved, and whether everything really depends on the EU, and to what extent,” our interlocutor concluded.