Pavkovic: Failure of negotiations in Brussels affects EU's credibility, Lajcak's role crucial

Milos Pavkovic, a researcher at the Center for European Policy, assesses that the failure of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina regarding the dinar affects the credibility of the EU, and in the new round of talks, the role of Miroslav Lajcak as the chief mediator will be crucial.

"It is evident that both sides, Belgrade and Pristina, have diametrically opposed views when it comes to the dinar. I assume Belgrade's position is that some banking institutions should be licensed to continue the functioning of the dinar, while for Pristina, it is merely a matter of transitioning to the euro. The role of the European Union and how Miroslav Lajcak will further mediate on this issue is crucial," Pavkovic said for Kosovo Online.

He says this is not the first time there has been no progress in the dialogue, and that this process has been ongoing for the last two to three years, and he sees the causes in the fact that the EU is the mediator in the negotiations and lacks mechanisms to compel both sides to agree or implement something.

"When we consider previous failed rounds and the lack of implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, it definitely affects the credibility of the European Union as an actor. We've seen that whenever the EU couldn't handle the two sides, it called on the US to apply pressure," Pavkovic said.

He also emphasizes that an additional complicating factor is the fact that the EU is entering the pre-election campaign.

"The European Union is quite limited, and its credibility is very much at stake. We should keep in mind that Miroslav Lajcak's mandate expires in a few months. The EU is slowly entering the pre-election campaign for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June, and all of this should be taken into account when we talk about maneuvering space and the EU's ability to influence both sides in the dialogue," Pavkovic said.