Mogherini’s Chance for True Rapprochement between Serbia and Kosovo

21.10.2014

Although it will be very difficult to match the public hype of her predecessor’s mediation, it is crucial for the new EU High Representative Federica Mogherini to revive the momentum to obtain meaningful progress in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue. This policy paper lays out several specific options for the EU to nudge the sides towards cooperation and true rapprochement. Given energetic mediation and smart use of EU’s leverage, Mogherini’s five-year term could realistically resolve most of the issues that poison relations between Serbia and Kosovo. In the next stage of dialogue, we recommend a three-pronged approach: (1) A formal channel of communication between Prishtina and the northern municipalities; (2) A technical dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade focusing on the implementation, and (3) A political dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade broaching new topics.