The US envoy to the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, considered the “non-papers” that came out to be random and worthless papers. In an interview for Flash in Serbia, Palmer spoke about the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, where he said that according to him Kurti and Vucic can agree on a joint agreement this year.
Excerpts from the interview:
You were in Pristina, and in Belgrade, what was your conclusion, how close is the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia?
Of course there is a lot of work to be done, but we would like to see, that both sides are seriously engaged again in the process that will lead to an agreement and the normalization of relations, and pave the way for Europe. The United States is not a party to the negotiations, but we are actors and partners involved in the process. I work closely with the EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajcak, and we both work closely with Belgrade and Pristina to help them identify areas where they need to work and try to reach an agreement.
You say there is still work to be done, could Kurti and Vucic be the ones to sign the agreement in 2021?
I think it is absolutely possible. But it really belongs to them and what we would like to do is encourage them to get involved. Both President Vuçiç and Prime Minister Kurti have strong political support, they are able to be seriously involved in the whole process, identify the parts where an agreement can be reached and help the whole process move forward.
You emphasize that you are here to encourage, but also that the United States expects the normalization of relations that would lead to recognition. How encouraging is that?
The purpose of dialogue is the complete normalization of relations. This is what is needed in order to restore the European perspective that Serbia and Kosovo aspire to. And the United States strongly supports that. Our vision for the Western Balkans is a stable, peaceful, prosperous region and fully integrated into the EU and the Euro-Atlantic community. In terms of what will be needed for this, it will take willpower to sit down and work on it, identify the necessary points of compromise and move forward. As for the United States, we see mutual recognition as a result that finally leaves this topic in the past and puts Serbia and Kosovo in a position to move forward. P
But Serbia does not recognize Kosovo?
I understand it, and it is not something that starts with it, it starts with identifying key topics such as missing persons, freedom of movement.
However, the European perspective is almost non-existent. France, the Netherlands, Germany are strongly against enlargement and they do not hide it. How is Serbia expected to accept something? Northern Macedonia and Albania are examples of this.
It is certainly true that the EU needs to make it clear to the Western Balkans that the way is open if they do the right thing and implement the necessary reforms. We would like to hold the first intergovernmental organization for Northern Macedonia and Albania. They did what they should and we think it is important for the EU to recognize that. A large part of the EU agrees with us on this, and I do not think I am revealing any state secrets if I say that it is a bilateral issue between Bulgaria and Macedonia and the EU is working with Sofia on this, and I hope it will an agreement is reached to hold a conference as soon as possible.
There are a lot of sticks and some carrots on the way to the EU, Serbia is asked to give something to get nothing?
If we look from Serbia’s perspective, it is in its interest to move forward on the European path, piece by piece, because that is the process. The opening and closing of the chapter takes place over time, and when we talk about incentives, dialogue is a central part of Serbia’s path to the EU. It is necessary for Serbia and Kosovo to normalize relations in order for Europe to be attractive partners. I came up with a message. And the message is that the United States and the EU are partners in the process of facilitating the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Miroslav Lajcak is the EU Special Representative for Dialogue and Other Issues in the Western Balkans, Serbia and Kosovo are parties to the negotiations and they are leading the process. Miroslav Lajcak mediates the conversation and the United States supports that process.
In the process, relations deteriorated because “Non-papers” mentioned changing boundaries. What do you think about this?
“Non-Papers” do not mean anything, there are many things and topics that can be discussed, I reject those random “Non-papers” for which no one accepts responsibility. When it comes to borders and territories, I do not see this as an issue that Kosovo is willing to commit to, and I believe there are much more productive areas for discussion at this time that need to be addressed. These are, for example, missing persons, an area around which both parties can reach an agreement.