Pavkovic and Mijacic: Progress on the issue of missing persons; there will be a fight for the Brussels Agreement's survival

Milos Pavkovic, an associate of the Center for European Policy, and Dragisa Mijacic, coordinator of the working group for Chapter 35 of the National Convention on the EU, highlighted that progress was made yesterday in Brussels on resolving the issue of missing persons. However, they also raised concerns about whether the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Annex will "survive," Newsmax Balkans reports.

Pavkovic emphasized that the return rate to Kosovo is the lowest in the world, attributing this statistic to the prevailing atmosphere in northern Kosovo.

"People living there are considering leaving. We are not at a level where we can discuss returns when pressing issues like security concerns, repressive measures, and the closure of Serbian institutions exist," Pavkovic stated.

Commenting on yesterday’s trilateral meeting involving the head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and Pristina’s chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, as part of the ongoing dialogue, Mijacic described it as the "end of an era of negotiations led by Miroslav Lajcak."

He noted that, however, two outcomes had been achieved.

“The first is progress on resolving the issue of missing persons, and the second is that a trilateral meeting took place at all. The issue of missing persons is important for families, and a political agreement has been reached to address these issues more seriously,” Mijacic stated.

When asked about the position of the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, Mijacic remarked that she would essentially take over from Josep Borrell.

“She is a key figure in these processes and will appoint a new mediator for the dialogue. With Lajcak’s arrival, we also saw Kurti, for whom the dialogue was not a priority. Lajcak’s role was marked by his inability to curtail unilateral actions, while on the other hand, Belgrade did not prove itself either, losing credibility as a reliable negotiator after the events in Banjska,” he explained.

Mijacic added that regardless of who takes over, the discussions will revolve around how to implement the agreement on the path to normalization and the Ohrid Annex.

Pavkovic pointed out that the agreement had been discussed for two years, but that there had been no implementation on the ground, especially on Pristina's side.

“The fight is over whether this agreement will survive,” Pavkovic noted.

Regarding the position of newly-elected US President Donald Trump on Kosovo, Mijacic expressed doubt that America would open Pandora's box.

“Will America coordinate its foreign policy on Kosovo with the European administration, or will it pursue its own course? I don’t believe Trump will engage intensively with the Belgrade-Pristina agreements,” Mijacic concluded.