Milic: The focus of the Brdo-Brijuni Summit is finding a solution to calm the situation in the north of Kosovo

Political scientist Dimitrije Milic believes that the focus of the talks at the summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, which starts tomorrow in Skopje and brings together leaders from the region, will be on finding a solution to calm the situation in the north of Kosovo.

Milic, however, points out that one should not have too high expectations from this summit, because during the year a large number of similar events took place where representatives of the countries of the Western Balkans and the EU gather.

"More and more events of this kind during the year somehow devalue expectations and what can be implemented in the meantime. What should be expected to be the focus is primarily the situation in the north of Kosovo, that is, how to stabilize the situation that has turned out to be the biggest source of instability so far and which will be the first obstacle in the further normalization of relations, where there is currently no clear progress," Milic told Kosovo Online.

He adds that there is a desire in European countries to calm down the situation and further normalize relations between Belgrade and Pristina more quickly, also due to the fact that elections for the European Parliament are being held next year.

He states that it remains to be seen what the composition of the European Parliament will be and whether perhaps the left part of the political spectrum will fall out of the ruling majority.

"There are those options, still less likely still, but possible if we are talking about Josep Borrell, who is from that left political spectrum; maybe he will not be in that position tomorrow as a high representative. There are many factors why European countries have the desire to push the situation when it comes to Kosovo, but so far they have shown that their capacities are limited," Milic adds.

When it comes to the positions of the USA, Milic points out that elections will be held in the USA next year, but also reminds that the Washington Agreement was signed in the photo finish of the previous presidential campaign.

"When everything is taken into account, progress is possible next year as well, but attention is definitely being focused on this period - September, October, and November to make some progress, so this summit in Skopje should be seen as another opportunity for the parties to somehow be pushed towards each other regarding the solution of the problem," Milic says.

When asked if it was possible that after tomorrow's meetings within the Brdo-Brijuni Summit, there would be changes in the politics of Pristina and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti when it came to calming the situation in the north of Kosovo, Milic stated that this was less likely.

However, he adds that in the coming months, he believes that this will happen because, as he says, Pristina's policy, which is fundamentally maximalist, did not produce so many results in this previous period.

As he explains, the level of Western support that was expected in Pristina did not appear, including the last statement of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who reminded that the KSF could not go to the north without the consent of KFOR, but also for the first time requested that the Kosovo Police also coordinate actions with this mission.

"Western countries cannot stand by that position, and I believe that there will be a change in that position. Now, whether it will lead to the complete ceding of some defined interests is less likely, but it largely depends on the political abilities of the Serbs in the north of Kosovo to maneuver in such specific and complicated circumstances," Milic concluded.

Tomorrow's summit in Skopje will be attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as well as representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

The host of the meeting is the President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, together with the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, and the President of Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar.