Serbian President Meets with U.S. Official, Discusses Kosovo and Serb Municipalities

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien in Belgrade on Wednesday to discuss growing bilateral cooperation, U.S. investments in Serbia, and the ongoing issue of Kosovo. A key topic was the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, which remains unfulfilled 11 years after being agreed upon in the 2013 Brussels Agreement between Serbia and Kosovo.

During the meeting, Vučić expressed frustration over the lack of progress on establishing the Serb municipalities, stating that the 11-year period has been marked by "daily absurdities, made-up stories and excuses, and a failure to deliver on what was signed by both Belgrade and Pristina as well as the EU." The Serbian president said that little is agreed with Kosovo and emphasized that peace and stability must be preserved in the region.

O'Brien affirmed that Kosovo has promised to establish the Association of Serb-majority municipalities and said Washington expects this promise to be fulfilled. The U.S. and EU have repeatedly called on Kosovo to move forward with setting up the Association, and the international community presented Kosovo and Serbia with a draft statute which the parties initially accepted. However, no concrete steps have yet been taken by Kosovo towards its establishment.

The EU, which has been mediating dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia since 2011, warned that Kosovo will face consequences if it does not comply with the agreements reached, including the formation of the Serb municipalities. The bloc said the implementation of the agreements is tied to the progress of both Kosovo and Serbia on their paths towards EU integration.

The 2013 Brussels Agreement was hailed as a historic peace deal marking the first consensus reached between Kosovo and Serbia at the highest political levels. It led to some progress, such as the integration of the Serbian community in northern Kosovo. But overall implementation has faced setbacks, with relations between the two sides now further from normalization than in 2013, according to experts. They see a need to "normalize the dialogue" process itself before expecting tangible results, citing the current Kosovo government's refusal to establish the Association and Vučić's interest in maintaining the status quo in Serb areas of northern Kosovo as obstacles.

The meeting between Vučić and O'Brien also comes amid heightened tensions, with Serbia criticizing Western support for Kosovo's recent membership in the Council of Europe, and Kosovo accusing Serbia of detaining over 1,400 Kosovars at the border. Vučić additionally discussed Serbia's opposition to a proposed UN resolution declaring July 11 as a day of remembrance for the Srebrenica genocide, fearing it could lead to Bosniaks seeking war reparations from Serbia.

Key Takeaways

• Serbian President Vučić met with U.S. official O'Brien to discuss Kosovo issues.
• Vučić expressed frustration over lack of progress on Serb municipalities in Kosovo.
• O'Brien said U.S. expects Kosovo to fulfill promise to establish Serb municipalities.
• EU warned Kosovo of consequences if it fails to comply with Brussels Agreement.
• Unresolved Serbia-Kosovo issues hinder stability and EU integration for both countries.