Kosovo’s representation in the dialogue with Serbia on Monday by acting Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi is being considered illegitimate. The return to the dialogue table in Brussels, while new institutions have yet to be formed in Kosovo following the February 9 elections, has been criticized by the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and experts on the process. They argue that the Kurti government is acting in a caretaker capacity and, as long as it remains in this position, it should not participate in meetings affecting the country’s long-term interests, KosovaPress reports.
However, after his meeting with the EU envoy for the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, Kosovo’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi justified his participation in Brussels, saying a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Petar Petković had been planned but did not take place due to technical reasons.
AAK MP Time Kadrijaj told KosovaPress that in conditions of political crisis and the absence of new institutions after the elections, neither Bislimi nor anyone else from the caretaker government has the legitimacy to represent Kosovo in the dialogue with Serbia.
“For four years, they have been the blockers of the dialogue, and now, when we are in such a situation without resolution and without the constitution of the Assembly— a situation caused by them—now they find time to dialogue. This government has no legitimacy because it is acting in a caretaker capacity and does not have full mandate to dialogue or to make decisions that are turning out to be illegal and unconstitutional. Their mandate expired on February 9 and they are a caretaker government,” Kadrijaj stated.
KosovaPress contacted deputies from the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Kosovo to comment on Bislimi’s participation in Brussels yesterday, but they did not respond.
The legitimacy of Bislimi to participate in meetings in Brussels is also contested by former diplomat Alma Lama. She told KosovaPress that as long as a new government has not been formed from the February 9 elections, no Kosovo official has the legitimacy to participate in dialogue with Serbia. She even criticized the European Union for inviting the Kosovo side under these circumstances.
“As long as there is no new government formed from the February 9 elections, no Kosovo official has legitimacy to go and discuss in the dialogue. It is unclear what is being discussed, since neither Mr. Bislimi nor others have legitimacy. This is a caretaker government, which should not deal with major and capital issues. On the other hand, I don’t understand why Brussels is inviting them, considering Kosovo lacks a legitimate government with a full mandate to make important decisions in the dialogue,” Lama emphasized.
Meanwhile, acting Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, after his first official meeting with envoy Sorensen in Brussels, said Kosovo could benefit on several issues if Serbia shows constructiveness in implementing past agreements.
He mentioned the issue of new border crossing points and the malfunctioning of interconnection lines between Kosovo and Serbia. However, Bislimi stated that Sorensen informed him about the approach he plans to take in the next phases of negotiations and emphasized that there are currently difficulties in holding trilateral high-level meetings.
“Initially, he told us about the approach he plans to take in the upcoming phases of the talks—both at the chief negotiator level and in high-level meetings to be led by Mrs. Kallas. In the bilateral meeting, we raised a number of topics that we believe are important to receive answers or solutions from Brussels as soon as possible. Of course, there are difficulties because high-level meetings cannot be held, but nevertheless, there are some topics from which Kosovo can benefit if Serbia takes a constructive approach. I think it would not be right to lose these opportunities just because there are obstacles in Prishtina regarding the constitution of the Assembly,” Bislimi stressed.
After the meeting with Bislimi, the EU envoy for the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, stated that they had discussed a wide range of issues related to normalizing relations between the two countries. He said they plan to organize a trilateral meeting soon.
According to his agenda, Sorensen plans to meet on Tuesday with the Serbian chief negotiator for the dialogue, Petar Petković.
Messages about the resumption of the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue were also given by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Kosovo and Serbia on May 21–22. She emphasized the need to implement the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Annex, which Kosovo and Serbia agreed upon in 2023.
