Edward Joseph, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, says there are no big expectations for this week’s meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić – the first in more than four months.
According to him, it would be a “pleasant surprise” if there was any progress.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Free Europe, Joseph says that the European Union, as the mediator of the dialogue, should remind both countries that they have an agreement to implement.
For the solution of the situation in the north of Kosovo, he says that all parties must play their roles. But, says Joseph, the crisis suits both Vučić and Kurti.
“Vučić benefits from everything that prevents him from implementing the agreement that the US and the EU say he accepted [for the normalization of relations with Kosovo]… Kurti certainly benefits, because the pressure is now only on the steps of extension [of the situation in the north], and not to the question of the Association…”, says Joseph.
According to him, Vučić is not a partner of the USA, but Kurti “has been extremely difficult and irresponsible in his approach to the North” and “this is not compatible with being a good partner with the United States and the West”.
As for the progress in talks about the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, Joseph says:” I don’t think we can expect much progress. This does not mean that there is no possibility of any progress, but, simply, we should not have too high expectations. We will be pleasantly surprised if there is progress.”
(Vreme, 13.09.2023)
https://www.vreme.com/vesti/edvard-dzozef-kriza-na-kosovu-odgovara-i-vucicu-i-kurtiju/