Oct 24, 2024 – A meeting between Kosovo’s chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, and his Serbian counterpart, Petar Petkovic, ended without progress on key issues, according to Bislimi, after talks mediated by the European Union’s envoy in Brussels.
This marks the first tripartite meeting in over three months as recent attempts at dialogue have failed to bring the parties together. The EU’s envoy for the negotiations, Miroslav Laj?ak, had held separate meetings with both sides before convening Thursday’s gathering, which ultimately yielded no significant results.
Bislimi stated that “no result” was achieved on important topics. In previous talks, both Kosovo and Serbia struggled to agree on what subjects should be discussed, leading to a standstill in negotiations. This comes after a September attempt where Laj?ak was unable to get the two sides to meet in the same room due to unresolved disagreements.
The ongoing EU-mediated dialogue, which began in 2011, is aimed at normalizing relations between the two nations. However, frustration is mounting within both the EU and NATO over the lack of progress. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has expressed concern that the current course of the negotiations is not delivering expected outcomes.
As tensions continue, the focus is now shifting to the future of EU diplomacy, with Miroslav Laj?ak’s mandate set to expire in January 2025. Attention is also on Kaja Kallas, the incoming EU foreign policy chief, who is expected to bring a new approach to the dialogue once she takes office.
