Muhaxhiri: Sorensen in a difficult position, dialogue will be blocked for a long time

Political analyst Artan Muhaxhiri assesses that the new European mediator in the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, is facing a "difficult situation" and that, due to problems both in Pristina and in Belgrade, the dialogue will be blocked for a long period.

"Sorensen is in a very difficult position because the dialogue is blocked, both due to events in Serbia, where we have student protests, and in Kosovo, where there are issues with constituting the Assembly. The dialogue was difficult even without the current problems, but now the difficulties have doubled and tripled. I don't think he will have much influence in resolving either situation. I believe the dialogue will be blocked, suspended, for a longer period, as there are no indications that the protest in Serbia will end, nor that the institutional crisis in Kosovo will be resolved," Muhaxhiri told Kosovo Online.

Commenting on Sorensen’s visit to Pristina and Belgrade, as well as his statement that it was a "routine visit," this analyst believes that, given current events, the new European mediator has no other option but to wait and monitor the developments.

"This is the logical approach to what he can say and do. If we realistically analyze the situation in Kosovo and Serbia, there is not much for Sorensen to do. He cannot engage in talks with President Vucic or the outgoing Prime Minister Kurti, there is no appropriate context for continuing the dialogue, which is why everything will be blocked until the situations in Kosovo and Serbia are resolved," Muhaxhiri concluded.

Sorensen visited Kosovo on Thursday, where he met with Kosovo’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi, and yesterday he was in Belgrade, where he met with the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djuric, and the Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starovic.