“Circumstances for Serbia are changing rapidly both internationally and internally. The Council of Europe accepted Kosovo's application for membership, which Belgrade did not expect, at least not at the last session of the parliamentary assembly. It is a great progress for Kosovo,” has said the president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia (HCHRS), Sonja Biserko in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News, which focused on the last round of EU mediated talks between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held in Brussels on May 2.

Speaking of the future developments in the talks between Kurti and Vucic regarding the Association of Serb Municipalities, Ms. Biserko thought that Serbia’s proposal reflects its pretensions to a status similar to that of Republika Srpska. “Of course, that will be the subject of further discussions. It is obvious that the Kosovo side will come out with its own proposal. I support Kosovo's position against territorial autonomy because it is not a guarantee for the integration of the Serbian minority into Kosovo society,” said the veteran political analyst, Biserko.

But, according to her, the agreement on missing persons is of great importance because it addresses the fate of missing persons and would be a huge step forward in the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. “However, everything depends on whether the archives will be opened and the truth will come out. When it comes to Serbian archives, which are mainly kept by the army, I am very skeptical. Because even in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, they opened its archives very selectively,” said Biserko, a well-known activist for human rights.   

“America's priority is to fully resolve the status of Kosovo, and all its efforts are directed in that direction. Her attitude towards Serbia is more complicated because at the same time she wants to win Serbia for the EU,” said Ms. Biserko, who sees Serbia as a key actor in the Western Balkans but the US policy of appeasement has so far not yielded visible results because Serbia is still the main source of regional instability. “Serbia's security and economic interests are tied to the West. Serbia is already surrounded by EU and NATO countries and, like a lonely island, is waiting for changes in geostrategic relations that would enable the realization of its aspirations, as well as a leading role in the region. If Serbia does not take a clear position in relation to Russia, it will suffer serious consequences, which will affect its economic survival, direct foreign investments and general economic and social progress.”

Asked about the position of Kurti and Vucic in relation to the stance of their respective domestic political forces after the last round of the talks, Ms. Biserko thought that the new dynamic in Serbia opens up internal issues, while Kosovo is imposed by the media as a priority because it generates nationalism that keeps the Vucic regime in power. According to her, that problem should have been solved a long time ago, and she thought that the EU is responsible for that delay.

Touching upon the Russian factor in Serbia, Ms. Biserko looked forward to its decrease over time because Russia will face numerous problems due to sanctions that will be very painful in the long term. “Russia certainly has a foothold in many segments of Serbian society. I think that Russia skilfully used Serbia's frustrations due to numerous defeats and its inability to face its role in the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the crimes that resulted from it. Russia is in Serbia as much as it allows it to be.”  

Asked about her opinion on a possible breakthrough in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations she believed that it will happen, if the Western community persists in its current strategy, and she hoped it will.

“It is high time to normalize Serbian-Albanian relations and establish normal channels of communication. Some already exist, but without a serious state policy, they will take place only through the civil sector, which is not sufficient, but it is important,” said Sonja Biserko, president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, in the following interview:

Albanian Daily News: Ms. Biserko Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic once again failed to reach any deal on the Association of Serb Municipalities. The Serbian President said after the meeting that “talks hit a wall”, while Kurti underlined once again that the presented draft statute of ASM is contrary to Kosovo’s constitution. How would you assess more than the failure of this round of talks the tone of their statements?

HCHRS’ President Sonja Biserko: Circumstances for Serbia are changing rapidly both internationally and internally. The Council of Europe accepted Kosovo's application for membership, which Belgrade did not expect, at least not at the last session of the parliamentary assembly. It is a great progress for Kosovo. A very significant and indicative article appeared in the NY Times linking Vucic with Belivuk and the mafia. It is not without significance that this article was also tweeted by James Rubin.

To me, it seems like a kind of warning because there is much more to reveal.

On the domestic front, two monstrous murders took place, which caused reactions throughout the country. In a way, it opened up internal issues that are constantly in the shadow of Kosovo, Montenegro or Bosnia. It seems to me that this tragedy will finally mobilize citizens to rebel and put pressure on the government. At the same time, the anxiety of the president and the government is visible. They were not even able to face those citizens in front of the school, light a candle and take flowers to the place of the murder of those children. Vucic is announcing early elections soon. I think that Serbia is entering a serious phase of turbulence throughout the country. There is lot fury in the society.

- However an agreement (Declaration on Missing Persons) was reached by the two parties, which pledged to work together to locate Kosovo war-era burial sites to identify the remains of those still missing from the 1998-99 conflict. Almost 24 years later, 1,621 people remain missing from the war that left more than 13,000 ethnic Albanians dead. Might this accord be a hint that there is still light at the end of the tunnel?                

- This is one of a series of agreements that have been reached so far. The agreement is of great importance because it addresses the fate of missing persons and would be a huge step forward in the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. However, everything depends on whether the archives will be opened and the truth will come out. When it comes to Serbian archives, which are mainly kept by the army, I am very skeptical. Because even in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, they opened its archives very selectively.

- The senior US Western Balkans envoy Escobar said after the talks that “we have seen an evolution on both sides” regarding the issue of the Association, adding that further refinements to the Kosovo and Serb positions are expected when Vucic and Kurti meet again within two weeks. Given your expertise on the matter please, Ms. Biserko, where do you see this ‘evolution’ and which can be the ‘refinements’?

- The Serbian side, as I hear, has come up with its proposal that reflects its pretensions to a status similar to that of Republika Srpska. Of course, that will be the subject of further discussions. It is obvious that the Kosovo side will come out with its own proposal. I support Kosovo's position against territorial autonomy because it is not a guarantee for the integration of the Serbian minority into Kosovo society. Minorities become a political factor only when they are integrated into the political system and have their representatives in institutions, including the police and parliament.

- Although the causes and dynamics of the Pristina- Belgrade dialogue are deeper and longer-lasting, do you think that the keenness of the EU and the US to solve the Kosovo-Serbia conflict is related to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and particularly to the effort not to let ‘room for Russian influence’ in Serbia and the Western Balkans?                

- America's priority is to fully resolve the status of Kosovo, and all its efforts are directed in that direction. Her attitude towards Serbia is more complicated because at the same time she wants to win Serbia for the EU. Many in the region believe that Serbia is being appeased, which is true. The policy of appeasement Serbia as a key actor in the Western Balkans has so far not yielded visible results because Serbia is still the main source of regional instability.   

Only as long as the Balkan countries believe in the military presence of the USA in Europe, the progress of European integration and leaning towards the West are a guarantee for the sustainable stability and security of the region.

Serbia's security and economic interests are tied to the West. Serbia is already surrounded by EU and NATO countries and, like a lonely island, is waiting for changes in geostrategic relations that would enable the realization of its aspirations, as well as a leading role in the region. If Serbia does not take a clear position in relation to Russia, it will suffer serious consequences, which will affect its economic survival, direct foreign investments and general economic and social progress.

- How do you see the position of Kurti and Vucic in relation to the stance of their respective domestic political forces, both of the majority and opposition? Which is in a more difficult position feeling pressure from Brussels and Washington and from the inside of their countries?

- I think, or at least I hope, that the new dynamic in Serbia opens up internal issues. Kosovo is imposed by the media as a priority because it generates nationalism that keeps the Vucic regime in power. That problem should have been solved a long time ago, and I think that the EU is responsible for that delay. This has its own explanation in the increasingly complex international context, which poses many challenges for the EU as well. I think that the region has been constantly expecting something from the international community for three decades now, while doing little to solve its own problems.

- As a follow up regarding Serbia do you think that the Russian factor should be taken into consideration, and being concrete does Vucic consult with Russian diplomats in Belgrade about the progress of the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue?   

- The Russian factor will decrease over time because Russia will face numerous problems due to sanctions that will be very painful in the long term. Russia certainly has a foothold in many segments of Serbian society. I think that Russia skilfully used Serbia's frustrations due to numerous defeats and its inability to face its role in the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the crimes that resulted from it. Russia is in Serbia as much as it allows it to be. However, in the last ten years, the Russification of the public and media sphere has gone too far, as a result we have 80 percent of citizens who support Russia in the Ukrainian war and blame the West for everything that is happening in Ukraine. That problem can only be solved by Vucic by changing the media policy, however, it has not changed significantly yet.

 - To conclude after this extensive discussion, do you think Mr. Biserko that a breakthrough in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations is finally possible? 

- I believe that it will happen, if the Western community persists in its current strategy, and I hope it will. It is high time to normalize Serbian-Albanian relations and establish normal channels of communication. Some already exist, but without a serious state policy, they will take place only through the civil sector, which is not sufficient, but it is important.