Radojkovic: Lajcak is trying with the US help to revive the 'clinically dead' dialogue

Historian Stefan Radojkovic says that the chief European envoy Miroslav Lajcak, aware that the EU no longer has control over the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, is attempting, with US mediation, to artificially revive a process that is "clinically dead."

"It is clear, at least according to the situation on the ground, that there is no implementation of the agreement, nor will there be any rapid implementation. First, we need to get to the point where something is being implemented, especially by Pristina, before we can even talk about any quick implementation. Lajcak jumped ahead without first laying the groundwork, as the saying goes," Radojkovic told Kosovo Online.

He believes that Lajcak's visit to the US and the discussions on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly were not coincidental and aimed to prevent not just the dialogue but also Lajcak's role in the process from being rendered meaningless, even though it is clear to everyone that the dialogue is "clinically dead."

"This is an attempt to revive it, artificially revive it, and primarily its own role. It is clear that neither he as a representative of the European Union, nor the EU itself, specifically the administration in Brussels, have any significant influence on events in Kosovo or on the dialogue between Pristina and Serbia," Radojkovic said.

Therefore, Lajcak tried, with the help of the US as one of the key global players, to pressure both Pristina and Belgrade.

"He is aware that the European Union lacks certain mechanisms, as we can see in the case of the so-called sanctions against the Pristina administration. On paper, they exist de jure, but de facto, they are not being applied, as by now such pressure would have produced some results, namely concessions from Kurti’s administration, which, of course, has not happened," Radojkovic explained.

The meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to Radojkovic, were Lajcak’s opportunity to "reaffirm his relevance and importance, which de facto no longer exist."

"We have upcoming elections for the Pristina administration, meaning nothing will happen until February. The US elections are also coming up, followed by the formation of a new EU administration. So, this topic will be shelved until early next year, and nothing else can be expected. In other words, he is probably trying to keep a dead process artificially 'warmed up,' even though it has been clinically dead for a long time," Radojkovic concluded.