Policy Note Series: 'Strengthening the Kosovo Perspective'

This set of five papers is a policy note series published since 2018 dealing with the so-called “new phase” in the EU-led political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, i.e., negotiations over a final, comprehensive and legally binding agreement on full normalization of relations between the two countries.  

The series, co-authored by Democratization Policy Council (DPC) Senior Associate Bodo Weber (Berlin) and Koha Ditore editor-in-chief Agron Bajrami (Prishtina) covers the most important aspects and elements of a potential future agreement from both a Kosovan and an international perspective.

It is part of a wider, ongoing dialogue and advocacy program entitled, “Strengthening the Kosovo Perspective – Negotiations on a Final Comprehensive Agreement Between Kosovo and Serbia” organized by the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS, Prishtina) and the Democratization Policy Council (Berlin), conducted since 2018 (with the Group for Legal and Political Studies – GLPS - also participating in the first year). It forms the largest, longest-term, non-official dialogue effort - cross-party among Kosovo policymakers, between policymakers and civil society and between Kosovo actors and officials and policymakers from the main EU and wider Western capitals – to date.

The first four papers have already been presented and discussed with policymakers in Kosovo and beyond; with the new, fifth and last paper the team is rounding up the series and making it available for a wider Kosovan, Serbian and international public.

Paper #1 “The Original Framework of the Political Dialogue” – deals with the original framework, the aims and principles that made up the original arrangement and successes of the political dialogue;

Paper #2 “How to Recognize Reality? The Issue of Serbia’s Recognition of Kosovo” – deals with the issue of recognition of Kosovo by Serbia;

Paper #3 “Kosovo’s Path Toward EU and UN Membership” – deals with the question of EU and UN membership for Kosovo;

Paper #4 “Collective Ethnic Protection as a Means of (Dis-)Integration: The Association/ Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities” – deals with the issue of integration of Kosovo Serbs;

Paper #5 “What Can Kosovo Offer Belgrade? Bilateral Issues in the Negotiations on a Comprehensive Agreement” – deals with bilateral issues.

The paper series is available in English, Albanian, Serbian, German and French (the first three papers).

Rather than offering ready-made recommendations on Kosovo’s negotiating position, the policy notes intend to serve as a catalyst for intense and productive debate and dialogue. Using this approach, the authors and the organizers of the overall program aim to help overcome structural constraints related to the negotiations on a comprehensive final agreement. The team hopes this input will support current efforts to successfully restart/reset dialogue negotiations on a final, comprehensive agreement.

The ultimate objective is to contribute to a sustainable solution to the Kosovo-Serbia dispute that will end the status of both countries as unfinished states, thereby creating important preconditions for the sustainable democratic transformation of both Kosovo and Serbia, and lasting peace in the region.