Slovakia ties Kosovo recognition to Serbia-Pristina deal

Slovakia has redefined its position on the Kosovo question and declared that recognition of the country will only occur if Serbia and Pristina reach an agreement. SME reports on this announcement, which was made in Bratislava earlier this week.

With this, Slovakia repositions itself in a sensitive diplomatic process. Until now, the country had been among those European states that did not recognize Kosovo – a stance it shared with Serbia. The new condition, however, represents a policy shift: Bratislava signals that under certain conditions it is prepared to abandon its blocking position.

Strategic pressure on both sides

The condition is strategically significant because it increases pressure on both sides. Serbia would have to engage in negotiations with Pristina to gain Slovak support – or risk further EU countries adopting similar positions. At the same time, Slovakia also signals to the EU that it is interested in a solution to the Kosovo conflict, even if this means reconsidering its previous line.

Negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo have been stalled for years. A breakthrough would have considerable implications not only for Slovakia, but for the entire region. HN documents the regional reactions to this announcement from Bratislava.

The Slovak government under Prime Minister Robert Fico had previously aligned closely with the Serbian position. The new formulation could therefore also be interpreted as an attempt to create more room for maneuver vis-à-vis Brussels without completely offending Serbia. iDNES.cz analyzes the foreign policy implications of this reversal for the Visegrád Group and EU-Balkans policy.