On Friday, September 4, negotiations between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of partially recognized Kosovo Avdulla Hoti will take place in Washington.

The meeting was announced by the American authorities.

On the eve of the summit, US Presidential Assistant for National Security Robert O'Brien said that both Pristina and Belgrade would benefit from the upcoming talks. 

“I look forward to the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdulla Hoti, which will take place tomorrow at the White House.

These important negotiations will serve to promote peace through economic cooperation.

Both Serbia and Kosovo will benefit from the commitment of both leaders to dialogue, ”the US National Security Council quoted his statement on its Twitter page.

Vucic, in turn, clarified on the air of TV Pink that at the summit, in addition to economic ties, the topic of Serbia's recognition of Kosovo will be raised, and the discussion of this issue may be accompanied by pressure on the Serbian leader.

“The bottom line is that Avdulah Hoti and Albanian officials say they are going to the US to recognize Kosovo.

There were also unofficial statements by leaders in the region that I would have to sign whatever was offered to me in Washington.

I listened to this carefully and I expect surprises.

I am not worried before the meeting, I feel fear, despite all my experience, I have fear, nevertheless I will resolutely fight, "the TASS agency quoted Vucic as saying.

When asked if his meeting with the US President is possible, Vucic expressed the opinion that this is unlikely to happen.

“I have no information, but I feel what a surprise they will prepare for us, and since I am going to refuse this offer, I think there will be no meeting with Trump,” the head of Serbia said.

  • Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

  • Reuters

  • © Marko Djurica

According to Academician of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of the Republika Srpska

Elena Guskova, Belgrade "was preparing very seriously" for the discussion of economic issues and cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo.

"At the same time, Vucic openly said that the recognition of Kosovo by the Serbian republic is impossible, that Belgrade refuses to talk on this topic," Guskova said in an interview with RT.

Georgy Engelhardt, a researcher at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in turn, believes that in the summer, Pristina "received all sorts of signals about the conclusion of a legally binding agreement on normalization, that is, the actual recognition of Kosovo independence by Belgrade" by the end of this year.

“If this information is true, then at the current negotiations one should expect any interim decisions within the framework of resolving the Kosovo crisis.

Accordingly, the current round is only one of the stages of a more global process, ”the expert noted.

"Deliberately delays affairs"

Recall that the meeting of the leaders of Serbia and the partially recognized republic of Kosovo in Washington was supposed to take place on June 27, but was thwarted after the special prosecutor's office of the international court brought preliminary charges of organizing murder and torture to Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and the former speaker of parliament of the partially recognized republic of Kadri Veseli civilians during the 1998-1999 conflict.

For the same reason, Avdulla Hoti refused to participate in the negotiations.

Let us remind you that Thaci and Veseli were one of the main leaders of the military-political organization Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

In the near future, a special court in The Hague is to determine whether the special prosecutor's office had sufficient grounds to bring these charges.

As a reminder, the special court for Kosovo was created to consider serious crimes committed in the period from 1998 to 2000 in Kosovo.

The reason for the formation of this structure was the PACE report published in 2011, which stated that the members of the KLA were involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder of people, and trafficking in human organs.

To ensure the independence of the work of the legal instance, it was located in The Hague.

According to Georgy Engelhardt, a special court "deliberately drags out cases" involving Kosovars, one way or another connected with the political elite of modern Kosovo.

“The special court for Kosovo operates under Kosovo law, but is physically located in The Hague.

Formally, it operates according to the Kosovo legal system, but in reality it is staffed with international judges who are not under the control of Kosovo politicians.

Therefore, he was able to very slowly, but begin the procedure for bringing to justice those who committed crimes in Kosovo during the war, ”the expert explained.

Engelhardt also recalled that before the creation of the special court, "such cases were not at all given a move."

“This happened because for a long time in the West, a decisive role was played by people who were in one way or another personally connected with those involved in the war in Yugoslavia, for whom the Albanian militants in Kosovo were allies and partners, they simply did not raise a hand.

Such tendencies are observed today, but to a lesser extent, ”the analyst noted.

  • Special Court in The Hague for Kosovo

  • Reuters

  • © Eva Plevier

"Rivalry has intensified"

It should be noted that after the breakdown of negotiations on June 27 in Washington, representatives of Belgrade and Pristina met in Brussels on July 16 through the mediation of the EU Special Representative for the Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, Miroslav Lajcak.

During the talks, Hoti, Vucic and representatives of the European Union discussed the situation with missing and displaced persons, as well as economic cooperation.

Lajchak announced this following the meeting.

“I am glad that after the exchange of positions, both leaders (Vucic and Hoti. -

RT

) agreed to continue intensive work at the expert level in Brussels next week,” he said, also announcing the summit of the parties in Brussels in “early September”.

Later, the European Union clarified that negotiations with the mediation of the EU are scheduled for September 7.

It is reported that the meeting will be attended by Vucic, Hoti, as well as the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell and Miroslav Lajcak.

As Elena Guskova noted, both Brussels and Washington have "their own plan for negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo."

“And these plans are not coordinated between the EU and the US.

Washington wants to play a leading role in resolving the Kosovo crisis.

At the same time, the American side is characterized by a commanding tone, and they will insist on a very quick solution of the Kosovo issue, ”the analyst said.

Georgy Engelhardt, in turn, pointed out that now "the rivalry between Brussels and Washington has intensified", since they decide who "will credit the achievement of such a diplomatic result as the settlement of the Kosovo issue".

  • Flags of Serbia and Kosovo

  • © AFP / Reuters

Prospects for resolving the crisis

As Elena Guskova notes, at the current stage “it is very difficult to resolve the Kosovo crisis”.

“After all, the borders between Kosovo and Serbia have already been established, there is already a police force in the rebellious region.

In addition, the 2013 Brussels Agreement was signed and other steps were taken within the framework of the Kosovo issue, which are aimed at gaining independence for Kosovo and Metohija.

But Belgrade cannot and does not want to recognize this status of the region.

For this reason, the negotiations are likely to be delayed, ”the analyst predicted.

Georgy Engelhardt, in turn, noted that Vucic periodically talks about the possibility of compromises on the Kosovo issue, including due to pressure from the West.

“In theory, Belgrade can make private concessions, for example, agree to end the diplomatic campaign to convince the countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence to withdraw their decisions.

However, such initiatives are unpopular among Serbs, ”the expert said.