Serbia and Kosovo agree to normalization implementation deal, but questions raised as Serbia refuses to sign
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- Borrell said implementing commitments from both sides is a precondition for their integration into the EU.
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TIRANA, March 19, 2023 - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says an agreement has been reached on implementing an EU-backed deal on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
However, Serbia’s president refused to sign the deal in writing, raising questions on the deal’s validity.
A 12-hour meeting led by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs in Ohrid, North Macedonia, had Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti come up with a verbal agreement, but both sides provided different views on what was reached at press conference after the meeting.
After the meeting, Mr. Kurti told the media “public consent” to the deal had been reached.
“This is a de facto recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, now we also have the annex of the subsequent implementation,” Prime Minister Kurti said, adding that Serbia was once again “avoided signing”.
Serbian President Vucic had announced ahead of the meeting he would not sign a formal deal.
“Why didn't I sign? Because of several things. Serbia is an internationally recognized country and for me, the so-called Republic of Kosovo is not an internationally recognized state... But after every summit and meeting, I unequivocally talk about the red lines, which state that we do not recognize 'Kosovo' and that we are against its admission to the UN. That's why I didn't sign anything," President Vucic said.
Mr. Borrell said implementing commitments from both sides is a precondition for their integration into the EU.
"What the parties have accepted: the agreement and its implementation through the annex will become an integral part of their respective European Union paths," Mr. Borrell said.
It had been expected that the March 18 meeting would result in an agreement on the annex to the EU's original 11-point proposal for the normalization of relations.
“It is clear that both parties will gain a significant benefit from this agreement, because the dialogue is not only because Kosovo and Serbia...It is about the stability, the security and the prosperity of the whole region,” Mr. Borrell added.
Tensions were running high in the run-up to the meeting with a solution to the dispute becoming more important as war rages in Ukraine and fears mount that Russia, a traditional ally of Belgrade, could try to stir instability in the volatile Balkans.
Mr. Kurti and Mr. Vucic first held separate meetings with Borrell before beginning a three-way session that concluded late in the evening.
Mr. Borrell said that even though the sides decided not to officially sign the deal, they nonetheless agreed to start implementing it as soon as possible.
"The annex and the agreement are considered adopted through my statement that will be published [soon]," and not through a joint statement signed by all parties, as originally envisioned, Borrell said.
However, independent experts like Daniel Serwer, a professor at have noted the outcome of the Ohrid negotiations seems to be “more smoke and mirrors than substance”
“It is more likely to generate further confusion than peace,” Dr. Serwer wrote in an op-ed article. “There are no deadlines to accomplish the goals set out. An implementation agreement is only as good as its timetable. While a signature on this agreement might amount to virtual recognition, that possibility is not mentioned, even as a remote goal. Nor is there any sign of recognition by the five EU non-recogniers.”
He added that a process-focused agreement without signatures leaves a lot to future negotiations.
Mr. Borrell had noted that Kosovo had agreed to immediately begin to implement steps to enhance self-management of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo.
The agreement envisages that Belgrade will not recognize Kosovo under international law, but will take note of its statehood and recognize Kosovo's passports and custom documents.
Kosovo is a majority ethnic Albanian former Serbian province. Even though Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized as independent by a majority of UN members, Serbia still claims it as its territory and has stopped Kosovo’s UN membership through its historical ally Russia in the Security Council.
PHOTO: Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti (left) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (right) meet for talks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (second right) in Ohrid, North Macedonia, on March 18. (Photo: Handout)
