Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in focus after New York meetings, Kallas calls for implementation of agreements

In New York, following separate meetings of the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, the normalization process and dialogue between the two countries have once again become a significant international focus.

Kallas stressed that progress toward normalization of relations must go hand in hand with European integration, underlining that dialogue agreements, including the Ohrid one, are binding and must be implemented.

“The path toward the EU and progress in normalization must move forward together. EU-facilitated agreements, particularly the Ohrid agreement, are legally binding,” she declared.

She also added that the European Union will continue its role as a neutral mediator, but that political will in Pristina and Belgrade cannot be replaced by this mediation.

Professor Kolë Krasniqi, in a statement to “Bota sot”, said that the EU aims for the dialogue to move from words to concrete actions. According to him, both sides bear responsibility: Serbia must fulfill its commitments, while Kosovo must meet its obligations toward the Serb community in line with the Constitution.

He interpreted Kallas’ message as a call for talks not to remain merely formal and not to be limited only to political statements, but to lead to real implementation of agreements. The EU, he emphasized, is linking progress in normalization with the European path of both states, a link also foreseen in the Implementation Annex agreed upon in Ohrid.

“The call for political will is addressed to both sides, but each side’s responsibility must be assessed according to the commitments undertaken. Serbia must stop obstructing Kosovo’s membership in international organizations and implement other commitments. Kosovo must fulfill its obligations toward the Serb community through its own institutions and in accordance with the Constitution. The Agreement on the path to normalization defines obligations for both sides and confirms the validity of previous agreements,” Krasniqi added.

The professor added that Kallas’ meetings could give new impetus to the dialogue, but success depends on concrete implementation and an impartial assessment of each side’s obligations. He stressed that for Kosovo, active participation and the pursuit of full and reciprocal implementation are essential. Such progress, according to him, would positively affect the country’s security, relations with European partners, and the path toward EU integration. Otherwise, the meetings risk not yielding sustainable results.

Meanwhile, analyst Artan Nimani assessed that Kallas’ meetings with Kurti and Vučić could open a new diplomatic phase, but do not guarantee automatic progress. He underlined that Brussels’ message requires reading in a broader political context, where the EU expects political will from Pristina and Belgrade to implement agreements and to tie normalization more closely to the European path.

However, Nimani drew attention to an even more urgent issue for Kosovo. Following the September 16 verdict at the Specialist Chambers, where former KLA leaders were convicted, in his view, on political rather than legal motives, he believes the priority of the Government, Parliament, and the entire political spectrum should be the institutional and legal handling of the consequences of this decision. The court found Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi guilty of several war crimes and handed down various prison sentences.

He emphasized the need for internal political and institutional coordination to analyze the verdict, support further legal processes, and assess the political and state consequences. This, according to him, does not constitute interference in the court’s independence, but an institutional responsibility to protect the state interest and to ensure that Kosovo does not face future developments divided.

For this reason, Nimani warned that if a new dynamic opens up in the dialogue with Serbia, it must be handled with increased care, because a divided Kosovo, unclear in its internal orientation, enters negotiations from a weak position. The first urgency, he stressed, is strengthening institutional and political unity, informing citizens, and defining a common stance on the consequences of the verdict.

In conclusion, Nimani called on Prime Minister Kurti, the Government, and Parliament to create a broad political and social consensus before any new developments in the dialogue. He described this as a national urgency, adding that the dialogue with Serbia cannot be ignored, but nor can it be conducted as if a development of extraordinary political and legal weight had not occurred in Kosovo. Before any new dynamic, Kosovo must clarify its internal position and enter processes with coordinated institutions and a clear state stance.