Vladisavljev: Pristina’s steps are cosmetic, lifting of sanctions is laying groundwork for future talks

Stefan Vladisavljev, Program Coordinator of the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, says that the gradual lifting of European Union sanctions on Kosovo should be viewed more as laying the groundwork for some future negotiations than as a response to any actual developments, since Pristina has not made positive strides in implementing the 2023 Brussels Agreement or its implementation annex.

“We have been putting out fires and dealing with ongoing crises as they emerged, so at this moment, unfortunately, the situation is defined more by the absence of crises rather than by any positive developments. It seems that the current situation throughout the territory of Kosovo, including the north, is marked by a rather inactive political climate. And if there appears to be any semblance of constructive engagement, it is primarily due to the absence of negative moves rather than the presence of any meaningful positive ones,” Vladisavljev told Kosovo Online.

According to him, some of the steps taken by Pristina in the recent period can be considered cosmetic, as the situation in terms of agreement implementation has not fundamentally changed in a positive direction.

He adds that it is commendable that the new European Commission envoy, Peter Sorensen, is a frequent visitor to the region and that a certain form of dialogue exists, but in essence, things are still stuck in place, in 2023.

“We have a framework that lacks concrete results in implementation. A certain fundamental disinterest from the EU in the dialogue process, as their attention is focused elsewhere, results in stagnation. It also seems that internal political crises within both Kosovar and Serbian societies are currently diverting domestic public attention away from this issue. So I wouldn’t call the lifting of sanctions fundamentally relevant to the overall dialogue process in the future. Above all, we don’t even know who on the Pristina side will be leading the dialogue, since they have been unable to constitute an assembly, let alone form a government, for quite some time now,” Vladisavljev notes.

At this moment, he adds, all that remains is speculation about whether the agreement will be implemented as defined.

“It appears that, at least for the Serbian side in the dialogue, there haven’t been any concrete benefits. We haven’t made any progress in forming the Community of Serb Municipalities. We do have Serbian representatives in parliament, including a large majority from the Serb List who are trying to play a constructive role, but it seems that the Albanian side in the dialogue cannot agree on what the next steps should be. Meanwhile, the European Union, I would say, is creating a certain illusion of developments without any real movement in any direction,” Vladisavljev concludes.