Dialogue continues because of Kurz, Vucic "brings criticism"

Dialogue continues because of Kurz, Vucic "brings criticism"

He recalled that the dialogue "almost died in the summer" when a lot of criticism was leveled at the EU, the mediator in the dialogue, regarding the organization's "inability to solve the problem."

"The dialogue died down and had come to a standstill, and this meeting can be seen as an attempt by the EU to deny that, and try to maintain the dialogue in this format. It should also be noted that (EU foreign policy chief, and the dialogue's facilitator) Federica Mogerini is at the end of her mandate and that this is one way to show that something has been achieved after all, which is also indicated by in the press release announcing the meeting," said Milivojevic.

He believes that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who recently visited Belgrade, and then immediately Pristina, had a decisive role in today's meeting in Brussels taking place.

Asked whether any progress is expected in the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina after the meeting of the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo, this career diplomat says he thinks that "nothing new will happen in it all."

"I personally think, regarding this major issue of a legally binding agreement that is expected by the EU, I expect nothing new," he said, adding that he believes the focus during today's conversation will be represented by the Serbian president and the arguments about the behavior of Pristina, like raising the customs fees.

On the other hand, says Milivojevic, "Vucic will, as he said, remind that the Pristina side has blocked the entire dialogue process because it did not do anything about implementing everything agreed in the Brussels agreement."

"I think that Aleksandar Vucic will use these arguments and in that way also criticize the EU, but also Pristina," Milivojevic concluded.

Paris trip

President Aleksandar Vucic will after Brussels travel to Paris later this week, he confirmed late on Wednesday in Helsinki, Finland, where he was attending an EPP party congress.

Vucic said he will attend a a ceremony in Paris marking 100 years of victory in the First World War despite the "admission" of the Kosovo flag to the Notre-Dame cathedral - a move described as "scandalous" by Serbian officials, but one that will not warrant any reaction, in order to allow for the French president's visit to Serbia at a later date.

Speaking on Wednesday, Vucic said his job was to "realistically look at things, and the reality is that our country must work with France and Germany, who recognized by Kosovo 10 years ago."