What could be Belgrade's response if Pristina stops implementing the Washington agreement?

Illustration: Nikola Jovanovic; Photo: Shutterstock

The news that Belgrade has received information from intelligence sources that Pristina is launching a diplomatic offensive and lobbying for recognitions of independence of so-called Kosovo has brought a sense of unease to a part of the public. Such a decision would mean stopping the further implementation of the Washington agreement, and those familiar with the situation in the region agree that it could lead to a new stalemate in the already difficult negotiations as well as bring additional instability.

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"I am worried about the fact that we have received information from our intelligence sources that Pristina will completely stop further implementation of the Washington agreement from September 4," the president of Serbia has said, added that it is up to Serbia to prepare for such a development.

Serbia will know how to respond immediately if that happens, says a source from the Government of Serbia.

And what could be the answer - what happens after September 4?

"If Pristina completely stops further implementation of the Washington agreement, as it continuously does with the Brussels agreement, and starts openly lobbying for recognition of so-called Kosovo or for membership in international organizations, Serbia will know how to respond immediately. If Pristina decides to take that step, it will undoubtedly bring additional instability to the region, and it's our job to be prepared and respond to that. Of course, it is not tactical to talk about the details and the specific activities in advance," a source has told Telegraf.

It is up to international partners, they added, to see and publicly and clearly make a difference between those who are a constructive partner in the dialogue and those who are not, and to make certain decisions accordingly.

Career diplomat Zoran Milivojevic says that the fate of the Washington agreement is in the hands of the United States, but that he does not believe its expiry date will be extended beyond September 4, when the moratorium on lobbying for new recognitions of Kosovo ends.

Kosovska Mitrovica / Photo: Tanjug/Kristina Maslarevic

Milivojevic told Kosovo Online that he does not believe the United States will decisively insist that the agreement be extended in its full capacity, and added that the validity of its economic part would be extended, but in a narrower scope.

He says that Washington has not shown so far, either, that it would respect that agreement, especially regarding the status of Kosovo.

Milivojevic said that the US administration stands firmly on the position of mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo, and added that the US has not warned Pristina against its lobbying for new recognitions.

Zoran Milivojevic; Photo: Tanjug/Dimitrije Goll

He believes that at the moment Pristina continues the recognition campaign, which is unacceptable to Belgrade, if there is no reaction from Washington, the Washington agreement cannot be considered to still be in force.

"In that sense, we (Serbia) have no obligations. We have nothing left to do but return to the policy of seeking unrecognitions," Milivojevic believes.

What does the Washington agreement say?

With the Washington agreement signed on September 4, 2020 that regards normalization of economic relations, Pristina agreed to a one-year moratorium on seeking membership in international organizations, while Belgrade agreed to give up for a year the campaign of getting countries to withdraw their recognition, and asking other states not to recognize so-called Kosovo.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of so-called Kosovo has confirmed for RFE that preparations are being made to submit membership applications to several international organizations, but they did not provide any further details.

"Preparations in that direction are being done by the teams in charge, in order for the applications to be ready when the deadlines are announced," the ministry's media office told RFE.

(Telegraf.rs)