Vladisavljev: Benefits and consequences should be clearly defined if dialogue agreements are not implemented

In order to move the dialogue process forward, it seems that a certain kind of pressure from Brussels is necessary, as things are currently going nowhere. It is important to clearly define what the benefits are, but also what the negative consequences will be if there is no real implementation of the agreed-upon matters, Stefan Vladisavljev, Program Coordinator at the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, says for Kosovo Online.

However, as he notes, the European Union has no other options to offer any kind of benefits or to “threaten” with any repressive measures, other than those related to the EU integration process.

“Whether these are financial incentives, as was the case with the Reform Agenda and the Development Plan, or a possible pause in the negotiation process, these are potential instruments that the accession process defines as possible. But those who put this on paper and define the framework will ultimately make the final judgment on what could be the most effective way to move the negotiations in a positive direction,” Vladisavljev emphasizes.

He notes that since the Ohrid Agreement was reached, things have essentially not progressed, which places a serious task before the new EU representative for dialogue and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, to find a way to revitalize the dialogue and ensure that what has been agreed upon is actually implemented.

“It is clear that there is a certain necessity to create political will on both sides in order to actively engage in finalizing this process, because all the guarantees that need to be given to the Serbian community in Kosovo are the responsibility of one side, while on the other hand, what Belgrade is expected to implement is a higher level of recognition of certain elements of the position Kosovo has reached. Whether this will be quantified through certain benefits or repressive measures is up to the European Union and the European Commission to assess as a modality that may or may not be applied,” Vladisavljev concludes.

Kallas announced yesterday that she will visit Belgrade and Pristina in May and stated that the normalization of relations is of the utmost importance.