US: Strategic dialogue with Kosovo to resume after commitments to the Serbian community are fulfilled

Washington is linking the resumption of strategic dialogue with Kosovo to the creation of appropriate conditions, including the implementation of Pristina’s commitments to Kosovo Serbs. So far, the government and the presidency have not made public the measures aimed at unblocking the process, while the opposition is calling for concrete action from the new government.

Strategic dialogue between the United States and Kosovo was suspended indefinitely in September 2025. The decision came after US concerns about the actions of the then caretaker government, led by Kurti.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Pristina said in a written response to kp that the United States remains committed to advancing shared interests with Kosovo. However, the spokesperson stressed that appropriate circumstances must be created before discussions on resuming the dialogue can begin, including circumstances related to Kosovo’s Serbian community.

“The United States suspended the US-Kosovo strategic dialogue indefinitely in September 2025 because of concerns about actions taken by the then caretaker government. We remain committed to advancing the shared interests of the United States and the people of Kosovo. We look forward to conducting a strategic dialogue with Kosovo when conditions are appropriate, including the fulfillment by Kosovo of its commitments regarding Kosovo Serbs,” the US Embassy spokesperson said.

According to representatives of opposition parties, the main responsibility for paving the way toward the resumption of the dialogue lies with the government. They expect the executive to demonstrate measurable results and take concrete steps, while they see the president’s role as supportive and complementary.

Lutfi Haziri, a lawmaker from the Democratic League of Kosovo, said the government must demonstrate concrete results in order for the process to be unblocked. He acknowledged that President Justina Shiroka-Pula may have a role in the matter, but emphasized that the main responsibility stems from the government’s actions.

“The president may have a role of some kind, but the strategic dialogue with the US is and has remained a government issue, because of the conduct established by the government. This temporary suspension means the government must demonstrate tangible results to unblock it. Secretary Rubio and the mechanisms of the State Department are very clear, and the unblocking and normalization required to achieve this goal must, in reality, be guaranteed by the government. The president may have a role, and others have a role, but its source has been the government, and the government must be the one to unblock it,” Haziri said.

Burim Ramadani, a lawmaker from the Alliance, also described the resumption of strategic dialogue with the US as essential. According to him, this requires broader institutional engagement, with the government playing a direct role.

“The strategic dialogue with the United States of America must return and genuinely begin, because it had not actually started. At the same time, this requires a much more comprehensive institutional approach, above all from the government. I do not see a concrete, decisive role for the presidency in this case, because this is directly and essentially linked to the government’s conduct and actions,” he said.

The Kosovo-US strategic dialogue was designed to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of the economy, trade, defense, security, energy, infrastructure, technology and cybersecurity. The mechanism also aims to strengthen diplomatic relations and coordinate on issues related to peace and stability in the region.