Thorp: Democrats in Congress will support Kosovo, but also push for establishment of Association of Serb Municipalities

Amanda Thorp, Senior Associate at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center focusing on the Western Balkans, said that normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia would be one of the priorities for the Democrats, who won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections. She expects Democrats to engage on issues including new recognitions of Kosovo’s independence, NATO membership and progress on its European path, while also insisting that Pristina fulfil its obligation to establish the Association of Serb Municipalities (ASM).

“I expect Democrats to prioritize recognition of Kosovo, Kosovo’s membership in NATO, as well as the European Union accession process. At present, because of non-recognition, Kosovo cannot be a member of international organizations such as Interpol. I think that is a problem, a challenge and something Democrats will want to address in order to stabilize the region and support Kosovo,” Thorp stressed.

According to her, the establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities has been a longstanding obligation, and because Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has not implemented that commitment, the process has reached an impasse.

“So, either he has to establish the ASM or there have to be new negotiations on the issue. At the moment, however, there is no movement whatsoever. It is stagnation. It is a problem. So he has to do it, and the United States must tell him absolutely clearly and unequivocally: ‘You have to establish the ASM,’” Thorp said.

She stressed that it was evident that the strategic dialogue between Kosovo and the United States had been put on hold because of the lack of concrete action.

“So, if he wants the strategic dialogue to resume, he either has to implement the agreement on the ASM or we all have to return to the negotiating table. But he committed to this ten years ago. It has to be implemented,” she said.

Thorp added that there could be discussion about whether establishing the ASM was the right solution or whether the answer lay in implementing minority rights already guaranteed by the Kosovo Constitution. Nevertheless, she reiterated her belief that Democrats would focus on how to help Kosovo advance toward the European Union and NATO, as well as on stabilizing the region.

“There are many political leaders and individuals in Congress who know the Balkans well. Some of them are now leaving, such as Senator Shaheen and Congressman Turner. However, there are still many politicians in Congress for whom Kosovo-Serbia relations are extremely important and who closely follow developments in the region. They will prioritize engagement in the Western Balkans,” Thorp said.

In her assessment, congressional oversight of the Trump administration would also be an important factor, and Democrats would be very determined to scrutinize business deals and arrangements in the region. Nevertheless, she believes that regional security and stability will be a priority for the new Congress.

Thorp noted that Congress has three principal instruments at its disposal—funding, political messaging and constraints on executive action.

“That is why I expect them to use political messaging as an instrument of influence. There will be congressional hearings and statements expressing support for Kosovo. Appropriations legislation will provide funding for programs such as democracy support and similar initiatives. So Democrats will once again emphasize engagement on the rule of law, and that directly affects Kosovo. Again, Kosovo is currently at something of an impasse when it comes to the ASM. Minority protection is extremely, extremely important,” Thorp concluded.