Austrian Chancellor: Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Has No Alternative

Austrian Chancellor: Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Has No Alternative

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said that from the European Union’s perspective, there is no alternative to dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, if there is a will to find a solution.

“I truly believe that there is a willingness to find a solution, despite all the difficulties, but I must say openly that I cannot offer it,” the Austrian Chancellor said during a visit to Serbia on August 13.

He expressed his belief that the solution should be such that “people in this area of the region can coexist in peace, no matter how difficult this may seem at this moment.”

According to him, this issue will have to be resolved during Serbia’s journey towards the European Union. The Austrian Chancellor added that he welcomes any measure that will bring Kosovo and Serbia back to the negotiating table.

Although the last round of the EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue took place on June 10, the two countries have not held a high-level meeting since September 2023. That meeting took place just days before a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police in Banjska, near Zvecan, killing a policeman.

Three Serb attackers were killed in the exchange of fire. Kosovo blames Serbia for the attack, but Belgrade denies being behind it.

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić praised Austria as a “very important country” for his country, adding that Vienna has always helped Belgrade on its European path.

“Today we talked about all important issues, from reforms in Serbia in the field of the rule of law to the need for dialogue with Pristina as the only way to overcome the existing tensions and crisis. At the same time, we emphasized the need to maintain peace and stability in the entire region,” Vučić declared.

Chancellor Stocker, during the press conference with Vučić, also expressed support for the European journey of all Western Balkan countries, while calling for the region to be protected from destabilizing efforts.

“It is all the more important for me to mention that all countries in the Western Balkans inseparably belong to the European family and it is important that the region is protected from destabilization efforts and that the fundamental pillars of the EU – human rights, freedom of expression and democratic coexistence – are also promoted outside it,” said Stocker.

He said that the path to the EU is not a one-way street and that the rule of law, as one of the central values of the EU, is one of the parameters for progress in the European Union accession process.

The Austrian Chancellor said that the sign of commitment to EU values should also be visible in foreign policy, where Serbia has an alignment rate of around 60 percent, as Belgrade avoids harmonizing with measures against Russia and China.

Stocker said that it is important that the EU enlargement process becomes more accessible to citizens, and that the same rules and criteria apply to all candidates, expressing his support for all candidate countries for membership to be included in the EU roaming area.

Regarding the call for greater harmonization with the EU in the field of foreign policy, Vučić said that Serbia “has given everything of itself” to explain Belgrade’s position.

Serbia has so far rejected repeated calls to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Belgrade, which has good relations with Moscow, has supported several United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has stopped short of imposing sanctions. /REL/