The Civil Society Platform for Dialogue continues to follow closely the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia, recalling that 11 years have passed since the beginning of this process on 8 and 9 March 2011.

The United Nations General Assembly, on 9 September 2010, adopted a resolution which paved the way for the start of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, facilitated by the European Union, with a mandate to promote cooperation, improve the lives of citizens and the progress of both countries on their path to the European Union.

Since the beginning of the dialogue 11 years ago, over 35 agreements have been reached on various topics. After so many years, a comprehensive and legally binding agreement has not been reached, as required and the conclusion of this dialogue has been conditioned by the European Union. There is no doubt that reaching this agreement, first of all, depends on the political will and commitment of both countries, as well as on the commitment and coordination between the European Union and the United States of America.

Emphasizing the fact that dialogue remains the only alternative for resolving disputes between the two countries that affect the improvement of citizens’ lives and their European integration, it is imperative that they return to the negotiating table as soon as possible with full political will to reach the agreement in question, the impact of which would not be limited to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, but would have a stabilizing effect and increase security in the Balkans, especially in the current circumstances after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Finally, it should be noted that important elements that have a major impact on the success of this negotiation process remain internal political and social consensus as well as political transparency and accountability, which have not been properly addressed by Kosovo governments since the beginning of the dialogue 11 years ago.

Civil Society Platform for Dialogue:

– Democracy for Development (D4D)

– Humanitarian Law Center (HLC)

– Balkans Policy Research Group (BPRG)

– New Social Initiative (NSI)

– Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI)

– Prishtina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS)

– Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED)

– Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR)

– Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS)

– NGO Aktiv