Serbia and Kosovo sign deal; Serbia likely to obtain candidate status.

European Voice - On 24 February the Belgrade and Pristina negotiating teams reached an agreement in Brussels on Kosovo's representation at regional meetings and on the management of Kosovo's border with Serbia. A decision on the EU candidate status of Serbia, that will be decided by EU foreign ministers in the beginning of March, depended on the result of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The compromise that was reached between the two parties paves the way for Serbia to become EU membership candidate and for Kosovo to get a pre-accession agreement. EU-mediated talks started in March 2011 aimed at normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbian President Boris Tadic stated that his politics of both Europe and Kosovo has been confirmed by the agreement. “This politics guarantees a European future for Serbia, protects Serbia’s national interests, but is also shows that Serbia is a factor of stability in South East Europe”, he said.

Serbia and Kosovo agreed how Kosovo can present itself in diplomatic meetings. From now on Kosovo is to be represented at regional forums under the title Kosovo, accompanied by the footnote citing UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo's declaration. Pristina’s request to include the Declaration of Independence into the footnote was not accepted. Reference to resolution 1244 is a sticking point for Serbia. The 1999 resolution empowered the UN to assume authority over the then province of Serbia, but it did so without prejudicing Serbia's claim to the territory. The two sides also agreed how to manage their border, which Serbia views as purely administrative because it does not recognise Kosovo's independence. Furthermore, it has been reported that Serbia has agreed upon not holding elections on the territory of Kosovo in May of this year.

The agreement was reached after two-and-a-half days of talks in Brussels mediated by Robert Cooper, chief diplomatic adviser to Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief. They both called the agreement a big step forward. Ashton declared: "I want to congratulate both parties on these two substantial agreements. One puts into operational form the agreement on integrated management of crossing points. The other consolidates regional cooperation and ensures that everyone is properly represented. Both are further steps along the European path."

In the first instance the Kosovar side had difficulties agreeing to the compromise that was reached, namely the footnote that will be included with Kosovo’s nameplate in diplomatic gatherings, because it feared that doing so would affect its sovereignty. In order to get Kosovo's agreement, Štefan Füle, the European commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy, pledged to launch preparations for a pre-accession agreement between the EU and Kosovo, something that has eluded Kosovo because five member states do not recognise its independence. "The deal demonstrates a commitment on both sides to their common European future," Füle said.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. But Serbia does not recognise the new country and Belgrade has been refusing to participate in fora and conferences where Kosovo is represented as an independent country with its own state symbols. In July 2010, the ICJ found that Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate international law or UN Resolution 1244. While the opinion is non-binding, it was widely seen as a victory for Kosovo. However, Belgrade still views Kosovo as its southern province, though 76 countries, including the United States and 22 out of 27 European Union members, have recognised it as an independent state.

After the arrest of the last war fugitive in the Balkan Ratko Mladic last year, the dispute between Serbia and Kosovo was the last hurdle on the road to Serbia´s EU accession. The European Union member states declared that if there was no agreement between the two parties, Serbia would not receive a candidate status. Therefore, a tangible improvement in Kosovo-Serbia relations was a key condition of Brussels for Serbia to have its bid for candidate status approved.

In December last year the European Council decided to delay the candidate status of Serbia, because the country had to proof that it was committed to a dialogue with Pristina. Also a settlement had to be reached with regard to Kosovo's participation in regional forums. If so Serbia could obtain candidate status in March 2012, just before the general elections. The European Union is to announce its decision on Serbia’s candidate status on March 1.