Efforts by the European Union to revive stalled talks between Serbia and Kosovo have failed to produce progress, with both sides restating long-standing conditions and showing little readiness for compromise, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported.
The assessment followed a visit last week by the EU’s new special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Peter Sorensen, to Kosovo and Serbia, his first tour of the region since taking up the post.
According to Kommersant, the visit was aimed at restarting EU-mediated negotiations on normalising relations between the two sides, a process that has been largely frozen since late 2023. However, the paper said the talks yielded no tangible results, with Pristina and Belgrade using the meetings primarily to restate their demands.
Serbia insists that dialogue cannot resume without the establishment of an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo, a commitment stemming from earlier agreements. Kosovo, for its part, says talks can move forward only after Serbia signs the previously accepted EU-backed normalisation plan and extradites Milan Radoičić, whom Pristina accuses of orchestrating a deadly attack on Kosovo police in the village of Banjska in 2023.
The EU plan, accepted in principle by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti three years ago, envisages mutual recognition of documents and symbols, the exchange of permanent missions and Serbia’s pledge not to block Kosovo’s membership in international organisations. Although never formally signed, Brussels treated the agreement as binding.
Kommersant noted that neither side has implemented any of the plan’s key provisions.
During his visit, Sorensen met Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti in Pristina. In Belgrade, however, President Vučić did not meet the EU envoy, who instead held talks with Serbia’s foreign minister.
The Russian daily said expectations in Brussels had been high due to Sorensen’s long experience in the region, including previous roles in Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. His Danish nationality was also seen as an advantage in Pristina, given Denmark’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
Despite those expectations, Kommersant concluded that the envoy’s efforts failed to achieve even minimal progress and that EU attempts to politically restart the dialogue are likely to continue without immediate results.