US Opens Strategic Dialogue with Serbia Today; Kosovo’s Resumption Contingent on Fulfilling Obligations to Serbs
KoSSev, July 17, 2026
The United States is launching the first round of its strategic dialogue with Serbia today, while the same process with Kosovo remains suspended. In a response to Radio Free Europe (RFE), the State Department stated that the dialogue with Pristina will only resume once the necessary conditions are met, highlighting in particular the fulfillment of obligations toward Kosovo Serbs.
In the response to Radio Free Europe, a US State Department spokesperson recalled that the strategic dialogue with Kosovo was suspended in September 2025 "indefinitely" due to concerns raised by the actions of the caretaker government at the time.
"We remain committed to advancing the shared interests of the United States and the people of Kosovo. We look forward to engaging in the Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo when the appropriate conditions are met, including the fulfillment of Kosovo’s obligations to Kosovo Serbs," the State Department spokesperson stated.
The US administration did not specify when the dialogue might be restored or what concrete steps it expects from the Kosovo authorities.
Meanwhile, the first round of the strategic dialogue between the United States and Serbia begins today in Washington.
As the State Department spokesperson also reminded RFE, through this dialogue, the two countries will work toward shared goals, including regional peace and stability, the development of economic and educational ties, and the deepening of bilateral cooperation in security, economy, and foreign policy.
Obligations to Serbs Explicitly Mentioned for the First Time
Although US officials have previously criticized Pristina's unilateral moves and called for the implementation of agreements from the dialogue with Belgrade, today's message marks the first time the State Department has directly linked the resumption of the strategic dialogue to the fulfillment of obligations toward Kosovo Serbs.
This primarily refers to the implementation of obligations undertaken in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, including the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in accordance with the 2023 Basic Agreement and its Ohrid Annex.
For years, Western countries have also been calling on Pristina to resolve outstanding issues with the Serbian Orthodox Church, protect religious freedoms, and avoid unilateral moves in northern Kosovo, which Washington previously assessed as contributing to rising tensions.
Kosovo authorities, on the other hand, insist that the implementation of obligations must be mutual and reciprocal—a point Albin Kurti particularly emphasized during his first term—and that the measures taken in the north in recent years were, as Pristina stresses, part of establishing the rule of law.
Dialogue Suspended Since Last Year
Washington suspended the strategic dialogue with Kosovo on September 12 of last year.
At the time, the US Embassy in Pristina announced that the planned dialogue was postponed indefinitely due to actions by the interim government of that period, which were said to have increased tensions and instability, and hindered productive cooperation between the two sides.
The US Embassy assessed at the time that "recent actions and statements by caretaker Prime Minister Kurti challenged the progress built over years," adding that the dialogue would resume once the proper conditions were met.
This referred to a series of unilateral moves by the then-caretaker government that the US deemed destabilizing. These included:
The closure of Serb institutions in northern Kosovo without coordination with international partners.
The dismantling of structures operating within Serbia's system.
Attempts to bar the Serb List (Srpska Lista) from participating in local elections.
Public criticism directed at the Constitutional Court during the institutional crisis
On the same day, the US Chargé d'Affaires in Pristina, Anu Prattipati, warned that Albin Kurti's actions and statements had increased instability, undermined the political process, weakened institutions, and worsened inter-ethnic tensions.
Washington: Attempt to Bar Serb List from Elections Was the "Red Line"
Less than two weeks later, a senior US State Department official further explained the reasons behind Washington's decision to suspend the dialogue.
As he stated to Koha at the time, the US was concerned about a whole range of unilateral and destabilizing moves in northern Kosovo, but singled out the attempt to prevent the Serb List from participating in local elections as the event that crossed a "red line."
"One thing I would specifically highlight, which concerned us the most, were the concrete efforts to prevent Kosovo citizens—in this case, Kosovo Serbs—from electing their representatives," the US official said at the time, assessing that it was precisely these actions that led to the decision to suspend the planned strategic dialogue.
He emphasized then that Washington does not question the need to integrate Serbian institutions into Kosovo’s system, but stressed that this process must occur through dialogue with Kosovo Serbs themselves, with their full inclusion and consent, for the solution to be sustainable in the long term.
Rebuttal to Kurti: The Reason Is Not Serbia, But His Government’s Policies
At the end of September last year, Washington issued a fresh response after Albin Kurti claimed that the suspension of the strategic dialogue was the result of US efforts to distance Serbia from Russian influence.
The US Embassy in Pristina rejected these claims as inaccurate, stating that the decision had nothing to do with Serbia or other external actors, but was entirely based on the actions of the caretaker government of Kosovo at the time.
At the same time, it was emphasized that the US remains committed to its partnership with Kosovo, but expects a partner that avoids destabilizing moves, contributes to regional stability, and protects the rights of all citizens.
While Kosovo Waits, Serbia Launches Strategic Dialogue Today
Today's message from the State Department comes just days after Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric announced that the first session of the strategic dialogue between Serbia and the United States would be held on July 17 in Washington, describing it as a historic step in bilateral relations.
Former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti also reacted to the announcement, pointing out that despite Kosovo frequently being described as the most pro-American country in the region, its strategic dialogue with Washington remains suspended, while Serbia is just embarking on its first round