The Kosovo–Serbia Dialogue as an Opportunity for the EU to Showcase Geopolitical Relevance

The European Union (EU) has struggled to assert influence in the Ukraine peace negotiation process, exposing the limits of its geopolitical weight in an international order increasingly shaped by hard power. The Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, however, offers a more immediate test related to the EU’s ability to stabilise its own neighbourhood.

Currently the process is effectively stalled. The 2023 Brussels Agreement and its Ohrid Implementation Annex were claimed as diplomatic breakthroughs, yet they remain largely unimplemented. In the meantime, distrust has deepened, rhetoric has hardened, and security tensions have intensified.

While the stalemate reflects both domestic constraints and wider geopolitical factors, the EU must deliver in its own backyard if it wants to be considered as a geopolitical actor on its own merit.

Dr. Butrint Berisha holds a PhD in Political Science from the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu, specialising in International Relations (IR). His academic work has been published in Party Politics, International Affairs, and Global Society. His policy research focuses on EU enlargement, bilateral disputes, and conflict resolution in the context of peace processes. He also served as a Teaching Assistant at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies from 2022 to 2023. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), or the Robert Bosch Stiftung.