Swiss Daily NZZ: Switzerland-Brokered Meetings of Belgrade and Pristina Officials Taking Place behind the Scenes for Years

Pristina (BETAPHOTO/Andrija Igić)

For more than 11 years, the Swiss Foreign Ministry had been discreetly organizing talks between high-ranking Belgrade and Pristina officials in Solothurn, a small town in Switzerland, away from the public eye, Zurich daily the Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported on Jan. 6. 

Citing its source, NZZ writes that the participants of the meetings in Solothurn include Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Pristina’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi. Invitations have also been sent to representatives of the European Union (EU), although they were initially very skeptical, according to the daily. 

“The goal of these meetings has never been reaching a major peace agreement. But discreet talks help to build trust. The attending officials can learn about the positions and views of the other side. They get to know each other and exchange phone numbers. This often contributes to de-escalating critical situations,” reports NZZ.

On the sidelines of the meeting, according to the daily, Serbian and Kosovo politicians can often been seen walking together along the streets of Solothurn’s old town.  

Asked to comment on these meeting, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said it had been organizing these talks in Solothurn two or three times a year. The last meeting was held in early December, the daily writes, adding that the Swiss Ministry’s partner is the Council for Inclusive Governance, an American non-governmental organization.   

EU officials, including Miroslav Lajcak, the former EU special representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, used to have critical views of Switzerland’s role, the daily reported. But in the meantime, Brussels’ position on the talks has changed, and Peter Sorensen, who has replaced Lacjak, has already been seen in Solothurn, according to NZZ.