One Step Closer to reaching the European Dream?

Following a number of days during which Kosovo and Serbia have engaged in a diplomatic exercise mediated by Washington (a rather insolite role to see President Trump is who is being criticised as acting to his own electoral gains) in hopes of finding a mutually beneficial compromis that would bring their turbulent relationship to a good end, the two parties announced the conclusion of an agreement to pursue economic engagement.

The background to their animosity dates as far back as the conflict in Kosovo, in particular NATO’s decision to authorise airstrikes in October 1998 following an escalation of the armed conflict and reported excessive use of force on the part of the Serbian security forces and the Yugoslav army. The dispute between Kosovo and Serbia is rooted in the decision of Slobodan Milosevic's decision in 1989 to alter the existing autonomous status of the region bringing it under the direct control of Belgrade. The Kosovar Albanian strongly opposed this decision and an open-armed conflict shortly erupted resulting in human rights abuse, civilian deaths and mass displacement. In 2008 Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence, under the blessing of the International Court of Justice.

Both parties see this accomplishment as a positive step taken Serbia’s efforts to get closer to a much-hoped-for accession to the EU, as the normalisation of their situation is one among a list of issues to be addressed prior to any potential talks of an EU membership. Nonetheless, the simultaneous announcement made by Serbia regarding its decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and Kosovo’s statement of intention to establish diplomatic relations with Israel were less than cheered by European Union, who at the moment has no member-state with an embassy in Jerusalem.

So, with talks having resumed in Brussels in continuation of the EU Facilitated Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the issuance of a joint statement in support of their commitment to prioritise the EU integration process, analysts fear that there is still a long road ahead before any substantial progress can be made in the current context where Serbia has displayed little diplomatic effort to recognise Kosovo’s independence fully, whilst declarations are made which could compromise EU’s common position on the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine over the status of Jerusalem.