James O'Brien: Western Balkans’ Progress Depends on Serbia, at Risk of Slowing Down over Old Conflicts

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said on Oct. 21 that the Western Balkans could not move forward without Serbia, cautioning though that “some old conflicts” from the 1990s might slow it down.

In an interview with the Serbian state broadcaster RTS, O'Brien said that he wanted all the agreements reached during the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue to be respected, but that the most important thing was that the Serbs in Serbia’s southern province lived as normal European citizens.

"I don’t agree that there have been no consequences for Kosovo. The biggest consequence is that European countries did not vote for it to join their institutions (the Council of Europe). Kosovo is lagging behind the other Balkan states. All of this is happening because Pristina is undertaking uncoordinated actions," he said.

The U.S. official also said that the U.S. was not where the dialogue between the two sides was taking place, but the country was very active on the ground. Also "there must be broader talks for the integration of Serbs in Kosovo, both in the south and in the north."

"The Community of Serb Municipalities, too, is an important step. It is crucial to make progress even before it is formed," O'Brien said.