The impact of the Washington agreement between Serbia and Kosovo
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At the beginning of September, we were all taken by surprise by the historic agreement in the White House between Serbia and Kosovo. Both sides committed themselves to normalize economic ties but also made space for future dialogue. President Trump used the opportunity to triumph his diplomatic approach and praised his administration. He also reminded us that the media and experts were wrong in their predictions that “the agreement was unlikely,” similar to the UAE-Israel deal. Over the last two years, Richard Grenell, Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and Special Advisor to the President on Serbia-Kosovo, was a frequent guest in the Balkans. He was the principal go-between to break a diplomatic impasse, and he succeeded. The White House’s strategy is to focus on the economy in the first phase and Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo in the second, i.e., independence declared in 2008. Most Western nations have recognized Kosovo’s independence, but Serbia, backed by its allies Russia and China, is refusing to do so. They also block Pristina’s membership in the U.N. Even though there was some talk about the agreement in the media, the deal itself was presented in Kosovo and
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Serbia only after both sides signed it. Serbian pro-nationalist and pro-Russian opposition heavily criticized it. One of the leaders even said, “No one can raise the ladder of betrayal as much as [Serbian President] Vucic.” The deal has only two pages, but it encompasses a number of issues, from the overhaul of the Belgrade Pristina railway and highways to the mutual recognition of diplomas and professional certificates, as well as an invitation for Kosovo to join the regional “mini Schengen” initiative, which was formed by Noth Macedonia, Albania, and Serbia. The agreement also includes boosting economic development in both countries through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in the months and years to come. By the end of September, the U.S. delegation had already visited Belgrade and Pristina. It issued joint statements regarding the private sector’s support in cooperation with the USAID, EXIM, and other government agencies. Belgrade would become the base of a regional DFC office to facilitate projects focusing on economic growth. BullsEye
