Dialogue Confusion: Serbia Has Hit Kosovo in Good Faith

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, has emphasized that the biggest problem is the blow to Kosovo's good faith by Serbia.

He blamed Serbia for what he called an attack on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Kosovo.  

"Attacks such as the one in Banjska and the attacks on the Iber-Lepenc canal all show that Serbia's involvement in these two attacks is direct. The relations that these groups have had with the institutions of Serbia are direct. Therefore, how can we sit with a party that, while we sit at the dialogue table, behind our backs organize actions that attack Kosovo's territorial integrity and sovereignty," Konjufca said.

Asked about the statements of the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, that high-level meetings in the dialogue are being postponed due to the frequent election cycles in Kosovo, Konjufca said that this is not happening due to Kosovo's fault.

"This is not our fault. Even the elections in Kosovo should be understood from an aspect of democracy, and of our state capacities that have taken a long time to build, so that the political system and democracy can absorb political crises. We are aware that this slows down Kosovo because it also causes damage in terms of sequencing the implementation of the growth plan that Kosovo has. We have approved it, but in the way it will be implemented and the financial obligations that the EU implements within the framework of this plan, this plan is damaged," he said in a statement to the media after the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU and Western Balkan countries, chaired by Kallas.

Konjufca expressed skepticism that there will be positive movements in holding meetings within the framework of the dialogue with Serbia, adding that Kosovo is in an electoral process, and Serbia will also hold one at the end of the year.

He added that it remains to be seen in 2027 how things will develop. "Ms. Kallas and all states expressed their willingness to contribute to building this trust, but Kosovo is in an election cycle and Serbia will have elections at the end of the year. I do not expect much from this dimension soon. Let's see in 2027 how things will develop. But I do not expect any initiative in these months of this year," he said.

He said that Kosovo has made good steps in terms of European integration.

Konjufca emphasized that they have always stated that the Western Balkans cannot be complete as a European Union integration project without Kosovo receiving the status of a candidate country for membership.

"I called on all states and Kallas to consider this step as soon as possible. We need to open negotiations for EU membership and at the same time I presented the main security challenges regarding the Western Balkans. I emphasized that for Kosovo the biggest threat is the policies of the Serbian state. I also made it known that Serbia's non-recognition of Kosovo's independence and its involvement, directly or through groups like the one in Banjska, as well as the financing of some of the structures are a threat to Kosovo. At the same time I made it known that a Russian influence is observed coming to the Western Balkans through Serbia," said Konjufca.

Konjufca, speaking about European funds from international agreements, said that those that depend on decisions in the Assembly will be lost, while those that depend on the Government will move forward, adding that Kosovo has a functional Government.

"Some of what we can do together as financial support does not need the Assembly, but some are directly related to the functioning of the Assembly. We do not have an Assembly at the moment. For all those parts that the growth plan foresees that there should be an international agreement or is offered as a form of loans that are made possible as funds directly from the EU and that require decisions to be made in the Assembly, we will lose these. And those that are signed as government agreements with the EU, we have a government that is functional in every aspect, and these will happen, but part of the damage will happen because we are being forced to go to extraordinary elections that were completely avoidable," he said.