Negotiations Are Key to Serbia and Kosovo’s Efforts to Advance on Path Toward European Union Membership

BRUSSELS—High-level reconciliation talks between Serbia and Kosovo resumed Monday after close to a year, as the two prime ministers met with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels.

The resumption of talks for the first time since March 2014 follows elections last year in both Serbia and Kosovo. It comes as both governments face rising political pressures.

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj writes in his weekly column that the upcoming round of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is expected to remain the same as the previous meetings. The EU is not going to change its position on the dialogue as it believes the process so far has been quite successful. Belgrade will also remain in its positions as the Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, was one of the main actors even when the dialogue was officially led by Ivica Dacic.

Kosovo may write off a range of debts racked up by citizens before 2009, the government said on Thursday in a move to tackle widespread dissatisfaction fueling unrest and a new wave of emigration to western Europe. Just two months in office, the government has been rocked by some of the worst civil unrest since Kosovo declared independence in 2008. It is also grappling with a dramatic surge in the number of Kosovars smuggling themselves illegally into the European Union.

European Union has confirmed that high-level dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will resume on 9 February. A press release issued by the EU states that the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini will facilitate the meeting between Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa in Brussels. It also said: "This is the first high level meeting since after the appointment of the new government in Belgrade and the formation of the new government in Pristina.

BRUSSELS -- Germany "is not hindering Serbia on its European integration path but it still insists on respect of fundamental enlargement process principles."

This is according to German politician and European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister.

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic will meet with Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn in Brussels on February 9.

Vucic and Hahn agreed to meet in a phone call on Thursday.

The officials also agreed to intensify their contacts.

Vucic and Hahn talked about Serbia's advancement along the EU path, the further dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, measures that the Serbian government has been taking, the country's economic development, and other issues relating to Serbia's EU agenda.

The Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Andreas Ferrarese, told RTK that Kosovo people that are fleeing the country are victims of criminal organizations that promise future in the European Union countries. Ferrerase said that irregular migration is not the solution to the economic situation that Kosovo is currently. According to him, Kosovo people “should stay in Kosovo and build their country.” Ferrerase added that irregular migration hinders the visa liberalization process for Kosovo.

Minister of Internal Affairs Skender Hyseni said in a meeting with EU ambassadors that visa liberalization for Kosovo would put under control and even end irregular migration. Invited by the head of EU Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, Minister Hyseni made a presentation regarding the recent irregular migration, violent extremism and also spoke about the recent protest in Pristina and the dismissal of the Minister of Communities and Returns, Aleksandar Jablanovic.

The European Union is experiencing a steep rise in the number of Kosovo citizens smuggling themselves into the affluent bloc, with 10,000 filing for asylum in Hungary in just one month this year compared to 6,000 for the whole of 2013. It follows a relaxation of travel rules allowing Kosovars to reach EU borders via Serbia and has coincided with political turmoil and street unrest in Kosovo fueled by poverty, high unemployment and economically debilitating corruption.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, on Monday stated that the Kosovo government already has a strategy for preventing irregular migration. According to him, there is nowhere better than Kosovo, and all of those who are fleeing Kosovo will have to come back. "We are working in all sectors of the economy, in order to create new jobs, attract foreign investments and to promote small and medium enterprises which will create the conditions for employment,” said Mustafa. According to him, there will be structural reforms in the fields od education and health sector.