On Friday 15 September, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn hailed the internal dialogue launched in Serbia regarding Kosovo.
"I strongly support the internal dialogue in the country to look to the future and not always the past", he said at a press conference with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić in Belgrade. "I hail this very positive movement and the launch of this dialogue. It depends on the sovereignty of the country to lead this discussion, but it is important" to have such a dialogue, he said, adding that this showed the leadership and attitude of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić, who launched this dialogue at the end of July.
On 13 September, the government announced that it would support the dialogue logistically, with a joint working group of the prime minister's office and that of the president which will organise round table discussions nationwide to be able to listen to Serbian citizens' views on the subject.
Speaking about the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, Hahn said that the fact this dialogue is taking place at the level of presidents and not prime ministers was "a positive sign". "I am confident that very soon there will be (...) positive results" in this dialogue – be it on the agreements already agreed or regarding the conclusion of new agreements.
The normalisation of relations with Pristina is one of the criteria needed for Belgrade's accession to the EU. While the negotiating chapter on these relations (35) is open, as are nine other chapters, Hahn said he was "really confident that we will be able to open other chapters this year". "Opening a chapter is one thing, but closing it is another", he warned, adding that progress was "needed" in the EU accession chapters that are already open, especially on Chapters 23 and 24 on the rule of law (see EUROPE 11863).
Hahn nevertheless said that the county was progressing "at well advanced cruising speed". "This could go a little quicker", he added, while stating that quality was more important than speed.
Elsewhere, Brnabić announced that she would be in Brussels on 10-11 October. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)