Rutte: The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is not progressing as we would like

2024-10-19 19:30:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has raised concerns about the lack of progress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia facilitated by the European Union. NATO operations in Kosovo were also a topic of discussion at the meeting of Defense Ministers of NATO member countries.

NATO's commitment to security in Kosovo does not change. This was also emphasized by the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte. NATO members will continue to work for security in the region. "In Kosovo, allies continue to work together to ensure that our KFOR mission has the forces and resources it needs to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for all," said Secretary Rutte.

Rutte: We are aware of the tensions in the Western Balkans

Security is one side, while moving forward towards the normalization of relations is the other side. The stalemate has been increasing tensions here for years. Rutte is aware of this. "It means that we have to be aware of the tensions in the Western Balkans and the fact that the dialogue process between Pristina and Belgrade is not progressing as we would like," continued Rutte.

The North Atlantic Alliance currently has over 4,400 troops in Kosovo who take care of the security and protection of Kosovo's borders. Rohde: Stakeholders who want to move talk to each other

The lack of progress in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue was also highlighted in Pristina by the German ambassador to Kosovo, Jörn Rohde, after a roundtable discussion regarding the Berlin Process that took place during the week. "Our expectations are that the interested parties who want to move, talk to each other, and have the political will to achieve progress, because, at the moment, there is not much progress in the dialogue. I know there are choices, but we always have choices somewhere. For the citizens of the region, and especially of Kosovo and Serbia, it is important that there is movement, for us to move forward", said Rohde, expressing the belief that the new European structures will require more progress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

"I am sure that the emissary Lajcak and the new team in the European Commission want progress and in the end the ultimate goal is the membership of Kosovo and Serbia in the European Union. Both countries and everyone know that this can only be achieved if we have normalization and without normalization, there is no possible membership in the EU", said Ambassador Jörn Rohde.

New meeting in Brussels at the level of chief negotiators

Next week on October 24, it has been confirmed that a new round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will be held in Brussels at the level of chief negotiators, although it is still not clear if there will be a tripartite meeting, after the failure of the last time to such a one.

In recent months, international authorities have addressed harsh criticism towards Kosovo for what they have described as unilateral and uncoordinated actions in the north of Kosovo, inhabited by a Serbian majority. Official Prishtina has already closed the parallel Serbian municipalities in Kosovo and the offices of the Post of Serbia, actions that were criticized by international authorities./ DW