Dragan and Agnesa don’t get Edita and Borko

Reconciliation, truth telling and normalisation of relations are the fundamental tools for both parties to deconstruct their dangerous national myths, which legitimised oppression, war and retaliation.

But, neither the Harvard degree of Edita Taihri nor the Western mindset of Borko Stefanovic has had the necessary influence on their respective nations.    

This is because the format of these negotiations has long proven that they are organised to tick boxes rather than address tangible solutions to real problems.

No matter how much Robert Cooper and Catherine Ashton grin in front of cameras yelling that the region is moving towards reconciliation and mutual understanding, the fact of the matter is that  their optimistic claims have little grasp of the reality.

Associated with lack of a clear agenda, lack of transparency, lack of accountability and vague EU aims, the negotiations led by Edita Tahri and Borko Stefanovic have been utterly personalised by the head negotiators for their own political gain.

But, what Mr Stefanovic and Ms Tahiri fail to realise is that the dialogue, aimed at improving the lives of citizens of both entitites, has de facto only improved the image of Baroness Ashton and Mr Cooper in the corridors of power in Brussels, while serving as a political suicide for Ms Tahiri and Mr Stefanovic.

To examine the extent to which these negotiations are detached from the thought process of the masses one need not to be a rocket scientist.

Just try to recap the tomato-welcome Ms Tahiri received at the Prishtina International Airport upon arrival from Brussels or the death threats issued to Mr Stefanovic in the event of stepping foot in the chaotic northern Kosovo.  Or even more shockingly, reflect back to the nasty events in the wake of Mr Stefanovic’s sly visit to Prishtina in spring last year.  

So, who is demonstrating this apparent “constructive approach to negotiations”, which is the message of every official document issued from Mr Cooper’s office?  

The answer is no one!

On the surface it might appear that there is progress in reaching agreements. Of course, this seems a success considering you are talking about agreements reached between two parties that were in a war twelve years ago and share a bitter past before that.

However, the reality is much more skewed than the fairy tales whispered by Brussels. We are talking about a process that the support only of governing parties in both Kosovo and Serbia. Therefore, it would be fair to presume that these parties would adhere to the agreements reached and would swiftly move onto implementing them accordingly.

Reality has it that this is definitely not the case. Every agreement reached so far was implemented only upon Brussels exerting some pressure on Serbia to actually take concrete steps in implementing them.

A classic example is the very recent shocking queues of Kosovar travellers at Merdare and Dheu i Bardhe waiting to transit through Serbia.

Thank God for that candidacy status bid. It really works a magic on the Serbs!

On the other hand, the hypocrisy associated with head negotiators’ media appearances and the way they so blatantly offend the intelligence of their masses by sending distorted messages makes the whole process even more unbearable.  

When referring to the agreement of mutual recognition of ID cards but not passports, Mr Stefanovic appeared to be protecting Serbia’s sovereignty. But, he might have to remember that the Kosovar IDs he accepted are issued by the same institutions that also issue the Kosovar passports he refused.

In doing so, he essentially accepted that the Kosovo institutions have the right to issue documents within the territory of Kosovo – which really tells a lot about his efforts in preserving Serbia’s sovereignty.  

Things for Kosovo are gloomy too! Its weak international position and damaged reputation has made Ms Tahiri nod to pretty much everything in these negotiations. The recent agreement on the car registration plates is the biggest fiasco she could have ever signed.

The lady that brags about her knowledge of international law has obviously missed lectures on statehood, considering she agreed to have RKS registration plates covered upon entering Serbia with trial temporary plates bearing Serb state symbols.   

What transpires in the end is the picture that Albanians and Serbs revolve around their nationalistic sentiments and seem unprepared to move on. A lesson to be learned from this Brussels adventure is that concentrating on the root of the problem, which lies in the ordinary citizens, would best serve the purpose of negotiations rather than making short-lived and window-dressing agreements.

We have a very long way to go. And these negotiations are doomed to fail if Edita and Borko in Brussels fail to take into account the problems of Dragan from Cacak and Agnesa from Ferizaj.