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Towards the Agreement.Pdf Towards the Agreement Working Group of the National Convention on the European Union for Negotiating Chapter 35 gathers 23 organisations and one individual who, through their joint work, initiate a social debate on topics important not only for this chapter but also for the Brussels Dialogue and normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Priština. Our Working Group is the only network of civil society organizations in Serbia that systematically and in an organised manner deals with these issues that are important not only for European integration of Serbia, but also for reconciliation between Albanian and Serbian society, and thus for establishing lasting peace in this region. In the previous year, the Working Group organised meetings with representatives of the highest state bodies, including a meeting with the President of the Republic of Serbia, as well as with representatives of international organisations and the media. As part of our work, we organised expert and thematic debates on various topics relevant to the Brussels Dialogue and reconciliation, including a discussion on the work of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office for crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes committed during and after the war in Kosovo, as well as a discussion on the work of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of the Republic of Serbia. In this publication, symbolically titled “Towards the Agreement”, we are publishing four short analyses that contribute to an expert discussion on topics of importance for the negotiation process. The topics were selected through a consultative decision-making process within the Working Group, and each analysis was done through a partnership of two organisations, members of the Working Group. All four analyses are relevant to the topics negotiated in Brussels, which makes this document more useful and relevant at this stage of the dialogue. English translation of the publication will make it available to interested audiences in Brussels and Pristina, as well as other international centres. In the first analysis, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP) and the Centre for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives (CDDRI) give a historical overview of the views of Serbian citizens about the Brussels Dialogue, the normalisation of relations with Priština and the reconciliation process. This study analyses over 30 public opinion polls that covered this topic in the period from the signing of the Brussels Agreement in 2013 until 2020, and provides a historical overview of trends in citizens’ views. This analysis also provides a methodological recommendation for future public opinion polls on Kosovo, the Belgrade-Priština dialogue, or relations between Serbs and Albanians, in order to better record the dynamics of changing citizens’ views over time. The second analysis deals with the sensitive topic of finding missing persons from the war in Kosovo, primarily the efficiency of the mechanisms of the institutions of Serbia and Kosovo in the period between 2016 and 2020. This analysis is authored by researchers from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights YIHR Serbia and the New Social Initiative (NSI), in which they dealt with mapping the problem of inconsistencies in data on missing persons, as well as other structural problems in cooperation between Serbian and Kosovo government institutions dealing with these issues. The analysis also provides a set of recommendations for improving the efficiency of cooperation between institutions, but also for a more humane approach to resolving the issue of missing persons. In the third analysis, researchers from the Centre for Contemporary Politics (CSP) and the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE) analysed the potential for economic cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo, primarily in the context of regional market development in the Western Balkans. This paper presents the framework of regional cooperation and economic integration both in the Western Balkans and between Serbia and Kosovo, gives an overview of trade between the two economies, and finally discusses the topics of economic integration in the region such as “Mini Schengen” and Regional Economic Area (REA). The fourth analysis deals with property rights, another important issue in the process of normalization of relations. This analysis was prepared by researchers from NGO Aktiv and CisBALK with the goal to clarify the challenges and problems in this area, but also to contribute to the negotiations in Brussels by pointing out the systematic violation of the right to private property. This publication was made with the financial support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Belgrade and the Balkan Trust for Democracy of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, to whom I sincerely thank for their help. Dragiša Mijačić Coordinator of the Working Group Publisher National Convention on the European Union Working Group for Chapter 35 Authors Milan Krstić, Centre for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives Maja Bjeloš, Belgrade Center for Security Policy Bojan Elek, Belgrade Center for Security Policy Year 2021 The publication was produced within the project “National Convention on the European Union 2020/2021, Chapter 35: Other Issues – Kosovo” financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Belgrade and the Balkan Trust for Democracy of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway, Serbia, Balkan Trust for Democracy of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, National Conventions on the European Union or the Institute for Territorial Economic Development. A brief history of citizens’ views on the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. What has (not) changed? Milan Krstić, Centre for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives Maja Bjeloš, Belgrade Center for Security Policy Bojan Elek, Belgrade Center for Security Policy March 2021 A brief history of citizens’ views on the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. What has (not) changed? CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 THE VIEWS OF SERBIAN CITIZENS ABOUT THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN BELGRADE AND PRIŠTINA ................................................................................................................................. 2 What do we actually know about the dialogue? ............................................................................... 4 Internal dialogue – dealing with “the reality” or distancing from it? ................................................ 5 Constructive ambiguity and consequences ....................................................................................... 7 VIEWS OF SERBIAN CITIZENS ON THE FINAL SOLUTION OF THE KOSOVO ISSUE ....................... 9 We know what we do not want– the recognition of independence .................................................. 9 Are there concessions for which we would recognize Kosovo? ....................................................... 11 Mysterious variations on the issue of delimitation ......................................................................... 13 Undesirable exchange of territories ............................................................................................... 14 Divided over the division ............................................................................................................... 16 What do we actually want? ........................................................................................................... 18 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 21 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH .................................................................................. 22 Sample and methodology .............................................................................................................. 22 Different dynamics and topics of questionnaires ............................................................................ 24 References ............................................................................................................................. 29 A brief history of citizens’ views on the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. What has (not) changed? ABBREVIATIONS BCSP Belgrade Center for Security Policy CSDRI Centre for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives CEAS Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies CeSID Center for Free Elections and Democracy CRTA Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability EU European Union FES Friedrich Ebert Foundation OSF Open Society Foundation IDN Institute of Social Sciences IEA Institute for European Affairs NSPM New Serbian Political Thought USA United States of America SOC Serbian Orthodox Church SAA Stabilization and Association Agreement Tanjug Serbian National News Agency UN United Nations CSM Community of Serb Majority Municipalities A brief history of citizens’ views on the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. What has (not) changed? INTRODUCTION At the beginning of March, ten years have passed since the beginning of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. Immediately after the signing of the Brussels Agreement in 2013, it seemed that the dialogue unquestionably led to a compromise and the achievement
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