Muhaxhiri: Agreement on the Path to Normalization is clinically dead, Pristina and Belgrade have zero will

Political analyst Artan Muhaxhiri told Kosovo Online that the Agreement on the Path to Normalization between Kosovo and Serbia, reached in Brussels exactly two years ago, appears to be clinically dead, with Pristina and Belgrade showing zero willingness to restart substantive, rather than merely formal, discussions.

“With the current situation in Kosovo and Serbia, where both leaders are dealing with major internal issues, Kurti with his government and Vucic with protests, I don’t think there will be any changes. This is a missed opportunity because it would have been much better for both Kosovo and Serbia if the agreement had been implemented, as there won’t be another chance. You can delay it as much and as long as you want, but in the end, Kosovo and Serbia will have to make compromises to reach an agreement. Time has been wasted, both leaders have lost time, and we will once again return to the same positions as before,” Muhaxhiri assessed.

Speaking about the provisions of the agreement that Belgrade and Pristina interpret differently, Muhaxhiri emphasizes that the most important issue is the Community of Serb Municipalities.

“Kurti surprised the public when he said that the Community exists within the agreement. However, he then raised a new issue regarding timing because he wants a sequential implementation of the agreement, while Serbia wants to focus on reaching a deal on the Community first. All of this is a result of a lack of political will, because when there is will, there is always a way to find a solution. But neither Kurti nor Vucic have the will or desire to finalize this agreement, and until the leaders find the energy and determination, the situation will remain unchanged,” Muhaxhiri stated.

He adds that it doesn’t matter which part of the agreement is implemented first, second, or third.

As he says, things will become even more complicated with Donald Trump in power in the US, as one never knows what to expect from him.

“He could be very lenient, or he could be very harsh. He might demand something significant from both Kosovo and Serbia, just as he is doing with Ukraine over rare minerals. Trump has further complicated the overall situation, so I am very pessimistic,” Muhaxhiri concluded.