Vujinovic: Sorensen’s visit to Belgrade expected, but also a consequence of political violence against Serbs in Kosovo

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic stated that although the visit of the chief European mediator in the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, Peter Sorensen, was expected, it is at the same time a consequence of the “political violence” against the Serb community in Kosovo.

“This was an expected visit. From the moment he was chosen as mediator by the new European Commission, it was to be expected that such a visit would take place. It is a bit unusual that it happened in August, but one of the reasons are also the consequences of what is currently happening in Kosovo – political violence against the Serb community and the Serb List,” Vujinovic told Kosovo Online.

He explains that these were also the key messages that Serbian officials conveyed to Sorensen.

He is convinced that once institutions are formed in Kosovo, the dialogue will resume, along with the EU’s continued insistence on establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities.

However, he warns that this could turn out to be “nothing more than ink on paper.”

“The entire behavior of Self-Determination, of Albin Kurti, does not only have a political basis in preparing for a new election campaign, but also represents a broader attempt to diplomatically prepare for those negotiations. Because the EU’s pressure is indeed for the CSM to be formed. It is quite likely that it will be formed, but completely emptied of substance. It will just be ink on paper,” Vujinovic argued.

He expressed concern that Pristina’s recent moves, culminating in the attempt to exclude the Serb List from the electoral process, are a tool that will be used as an “argument” in the continuation of the talks.

“This visit encourages me also because of the statements of our officials – the president, the foreign minister, and the minister for European integration – that dialogue has no alternative. Regardless of the many voices saying that this issue should be approached differently, given Serbia’s domestic political situation, its foreign policy position, and the overall global geopolitical situation – dialogue remains the priority,” Vujinovic stressed.

When asked how ready European mediator Peter Sorensen is to listen to the arguments of the Serbian side, Vujinovic responded with a folk proverb.

“As our people say, he is ‘ready to hear, but not to listen.’ I think he already has a prepared agenda, a prepared outcome. We see that the EU views the independence of Kosovo as the result of the negotiations, which is unacceptable to us. That is the direction the talks will go. As our people also say: ‘two evils killed Milos.’ I fear that, no matter how optimistic I am and how much I want the talks to serve as an instrument to resolve this major problem, the EU and the Albanian community are working together to make the Serb community accept and agree to all of this. But I remain optimistic, as I was with all previous mediators, because what is the alternative? It is what we already have,” Vujinovic concluded.