Vladisavljev: "Hot Potato" for Lajcak's successor, new envoy must cooperate with the U.S.

Whoever succeeds EU Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, will inherit a "hot potato" that it's uncertain how or even if it can be resolved in the near future, believes Stefan Vladisavljev, Program Coordinator at the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society. Speaking to Kosovo Online, he assesses that the new envoy will need to establish good communication not only with Belgrade and Pristina but also with Washington.
Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen is mentioned as a candidate for Lajcak's position, while Finnish diplomat Peko Havisto was also recently considered. Vladisavljev emphasizes that Scandinavian diplomats have previously engaged with the region and have experience, so their selection would not be surprising.
"Let's remember Martti Ahtisaari. We know that this is a topic that is not unfamiliar to them. However, first with the extension of Lajcak’s mandate, and then with the withdrawal of some potential candidates seen as favorites, it increasingly seems to me that whoever takes over the dialogue is taking on a hot potato that it's uncertain how it can be untangled in the coming period," says Vladisavljev.
He adds that the choice of envoy also depends on how the US will approach the issue of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. According to his assessment, not only is a diplomat needed who can communicate with both sides, but also one who can establish communication with Washington.
He points out that so far, the dialogue has been mostly hindered by a lack of political will, primarily from Pristina, and then from Belgrade, to constructively engage in the resolution process. Accordingly, he says, it is not crucial from which country the diplomats come or their connection to the region.
"We have Lajcak from Slovakia, a country that does not recognize Kosovo. Before that, we had Federica Mogherini and Catherine Ashton from countries that recognize Kosovo's independence. The dialogue has moved—or not moved—depending on political will, so where the diplomats come from and their past involvement with the region will not be decisive," concludes Vladisavljev.
Commenting on EU announcements that the future envoy will focus exclusively on dialogue issues and not other regional matters, Vladisavljev notes that Lajcak's focus was primarily on the dialogue.
"It seems that Miroslav Lajcak was primarily engaged in the dialogue and was most recognized and involved in this process. What remains, and it is very important to mention, is the enlargement process. The appointment of a Commissioner for Enlargement is a new role and he will have considerably more work on that front. Therefore, the envoy will probably focus more on specific issues, namely the dialogue issue, because we do not have other open bilateral challenges of this type in the Western Balkans region," concluded Vladisavljev.
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