The German ambassador to Kosovo has predicted that all European countries that have not recognized Kosovo will do so if there are results in normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Jorn Rohde said in an interview with RFE/RL on March 15 that he is sure that Kosovo will be recognized by the EU states that have not yet recognized it thus far, if there are results in the normalization process.
The EU states that have yet to recognize Kosovo are Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, and Cyprus.
“All of these non-recognizers have always said if there is a positive dynamic on normalization, they will rethink their position,” Rohde said. “To me, it’s more or less a slam dunk.”
Rohde said this is another reason why it is so important that negotiators of an agreement on a proposed normalization plan now under consideration are able to get it “over the line” and that they “don’t miss the bus.”
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic are due to meet over the coming weekend in North Macedonia to discuss the implementation of the EU proposal they agreed to in Brussels last month.
“Time is not on Kosovo’s or Serbia’s side. We need to overcome this permanent crisis management, and the EU -- 27 countries [and] the U.S. -- we’ve invested a lot,” Rohde told RFE/RL.
In light of the war in Ukraine, he said, "We cannot tolerate anymore this constant crisis management on car plates, barricades, elections."
Noting that a lot of past agreements haven’t been implemented, he said countries are eager that the current agreement works and is backed at the highest political level.
He said at the coming meeting, expected to take place on March 18 in Ohrid, North Macedonia, there will be demands from both sides to go the extra mile. For Kosovo, it will be on the establishment of an association of Serbian majority municipalities, and for Serbia to recognize that Kosovo exists and has a European perspective.
“There is a solution on the table, and we expect from both sides that they take it, and they really act honestly on it,” Rohde said.
While the agreement will be only an interim step, it is a very important one because it starts a dynamic that is expected to lead to full normalization, he said.
“Mutual recognition is the endgame for us. Without mutual recognition, I don’t see one of the two countries in the EU because we don’t accept countries which don’t recognize each other,” Rohde said. “For now, this is the best deal you can get, and there are a lot of benefits.”