Zulfaj: Relations with Serbia will normalize only when it behaves like a normal state

Jeton Zulfaj, Kosovo’s chief negotiator with the European Union, has said that relations with Serbia can normalize only when Serbia becomes what he described as a normal state.

Speaking at the “EU Meets the Balkans 5.0” forum in Sofia, Zulfaj said Serbia has yet to accept responsibility for the crimes committed and instead continues to glorify them.

“Normalization with Serbia will come when Serbia becomes a normal country. I don’t think that is the case yet,” he said.

Referring to the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Zulfaj recalled that the process began in 2011 and that around 39 agreements have been reached since then. He singled out the Brussels agreement of February 27, 2023, and its annex, which the parties subsequently agreed to in Ohrid.

According to Zulfaj, Kosovo faces a very difficult and aggressive neighbor that has not only failed to take responsibility for the crimes committed but now also venerates a person who committed genocide. He said this is one of the main obstacles to normalizing relations.

He noted that the dialogue began in 2011, 15 years ago, while Serbia gained candidate country status in 2012. It then opened accession negotiations in 2013 and held its first intergovernmental conference in 2014, without having normalized relations with Kosovo.

Zulfaj said normalization requires a genuine commitment to reality and to the values of the European Union, which all aspire to join.

He also mentioned the aggression in Banjska and the attack on Kosovo’s critical infrastructure in Ibër-Lepenc, both of which occurred after the Brussels agreement and the Ohrid annex. According to him, such actions are not the behavior of a neighbor seeking normalization; rather, they show a commitment to obstructing the process and pursuing an aggressive course.

At the same time, Zulfaj said Kosovo’s path toward the EU is based on the rule of law, justice, reforms and economic development, adding that the country is continuing in precisely that direction.

He said it is very important that Serbia not become a gatekeeper for Kosovo during this process. Zulfaj recalled that Serbia has 35 chapters and that the final chapter concerns the normalization of relations with Kosovo.

According to him, Serbia can be assessed on its record in the rule of law, justice, democracy, freedom and the protection of rights, and can receive a positive assessment if it meets the relevant criteria. However, because of its aggressive stance, it would fail to close only the final chapter, the one concerning relations with Kosovo.

By contrast, Zulfaj stressed that Kosovo does not yet have any chapters because it has not opened accession negotiations. For this reason, he said Kosovo should also be able to have its own chapter while the dialogue with Serbia continues in parallel.