Frank Wisner, former US representative in Kosovo status talks, dies

2025-02-24 19:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Frank Wisner, the former United States envoy for talks on the status of Kosovo, has died at the age of 86.

His son, David, said he died after health complications caused by lung cancer.

An American diplomat, Wisner had led American embassies in Zambia, Egypt, the Philippines and India and had held senior positions in both Republican and Democratic administrations and was associated with initiatives that brought change in regions such as the Balkans and South Africa.

While leaving the State Department, Wisner had assisted President Bill Clinton's administration in negotiations with Boris Yeltsin's Moscow government to reduce Russian arms sales to Iran.

Wisner retired from his diplomatic career in 1997, but continued to work in the private sector, in several advisory roles, and also took on several official missions.

In 2005, the George W. Bush administration appointed him special representative in negotiations for Kosovo's status as a sovereign state, negotiations that led to Kosovo's independence in 2008.

In an interview given to Radio Free Europe in December last year, Wisner spoke about relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

He said that to this day, Serbia is not ready to accept the reality of an independent Kosovo, therefore he said that the agreements reached between the two states will not work.

According to him, "until there is a political decision in Belgrade to accept Kosovo's sovereignty, I see no way out, everything else is a secondary issue."

Asked what advice he would give to leaders in Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the international community regarding the disputes in the Western Balkans region, Wisner told Radio Free Europe that the best way to deal with disagreements is to talk about them and address them.

"For example, I do not expect Serbia to recognize Kosovo's independence. It should, but it will not. What could happen are partial agreements on trade, on the movement of people, on cultural cooperation. These would be practical steps for cooperation between Pristina and Belgrade and are worth pursuing," he declared.

Meanwhile, regarding the administration of President Donald Trump, he stated that it was too early to say what could be expected regarding the Western Balkans.

"The previous Trump administration had a number of ideas aimed at reaching a territorial agreement... Any move towards this objective would cause nothing but trouble in the Western Balkans. I hope this will not tempt the new administration," he declared.

In Kosovo, political figures have reacted after Wisner's death.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said that Wisner was a valued friend of Kosovo.

"His long and distinguished career in the service of American diplomacy, including his role as an emissary in the Kosovo status talks, has left an indelible mark on our history," said the Kosovo Presidency.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said that Wisner had played a decisive role in Kosovo's independence.

"His dedication, professionalism and vision for a free and democratic Kosovo will remain forever in the memory of our people," said Haradinaj.

After retiring from the US diplomatic service, Wisner had expressed concerns about the way the US had exercised its global power, starting from the Vietnam War in the 1960s to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan./ REL