Serb-Albanian reconciliation in the context of the EU-led Belgrade – Pristina Dialogue and the problem of missing persons: an assessment
Serb-Albanian reconciliation in the context of the EU-led Belgrade – Pristina Dialogue and the problem of missing persons: an assessment

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the prospects for Serb–Albanian reconciliation in the context of the EU-facilitated Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue and focuses in particular on the unresolved issue of missing persons from the Kosovo conflict (1998–2000). While the Dialogue, launched under EU mediation in 2010, has produced a number of technical and political agreements aimed at normalizing relations, its contribution to genuine reconciliation remains limited. More than two decades after the end of the conflict and seventeen years after Kosovo’s declaration of independence, progress in addressing the legacy of war crimes, ensuring justice for victims, and clarifying the fate of missing persons has been insufficient. Drawing on theoretical approaches to reconciliation and transitional justice, the article argues that sustainable normalization cannot be achieved solely through diplomatic arrangements or de facto recognition formulas. Instead, reconciliation requires truth-seeking, accountability, acknowledgment of suffering, and meaningful engagement with victims’ families. Although recent agreements, including the 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons, have revived expectations, persistent political mistrust and divergent narratives continue to obstruct implementation. The study concludes that without tangible progress on justice and the resolution of missing persons cases, the normalization process will remain fragile and reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia incomplete.

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