Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: The rocky road towards a comprehensive normalisation agreement

Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are key elements of the EU accession process for all Western Balkan countries. The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, initiated in 2011 and facilitated by the EU, achieved some initial success, such as the Brussels Agreement of 2013. Following a flare-up of border tensions in July 2022 and a Franco-German initiative in November 2022, in February 2023 the EU presented and brokered a proposal for an Agreement on the path to normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia. While the two parties only gave their tacit consent, the agreement provided positive momentum for negotiations and a blueprint for normalisation. In March 2023 in Ohrid, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on the implementation annex to the agreement. Despite these positive results, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said his country had agreed on 'some kind of deal' to normalise relations. 'We have agreed on some points, not on all points. This is not the final deal', he stated in Ohrid, highlighting the two sides' different perceptions of the normalisation agreement. For Kosovo, it symbolises the recognition of its statehood by Serbia, while for Serbia, it appears to have more economic relevance. Serbia also insists that the process must comply with its Constitution, which considers Kosovo an integral part of Serbian territory, and with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999). The outcome of the political dialogue will influence Serbia's EU accession process, as the commitments made in Ohrid will be incorporated into the 35th negotiation chapter ('Other issues') and will likewise serve as a condition for Kosovo's promised EU path.