Kosovo PM Faces Pressure to Involve US in Serbia Dialogue

Ahead of the expected resumption of the stalled dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Kosovo leader Albin Kurti is coming under domestic pressure to get the United States involved in the European Union-facilitated process.

"Without its participation there should be no dialogue," one opposition party leader, Lumir Abdixhiku, said on Wednesday about US involvement in the talks.

In a series of consultations with party leaders, Prime Minister Kurti met the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, on Wednesday.

A day earlier he did the same with Ramush Haradinaj, of the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, who also voiced concerns about the lack of US involvement.

"What we see is an absence of United States in the dialogue. We think his is not a good situation for Kosovo, as it damages the balance of interests for Kosovo in the dialogue," Haradinaj said after the meeting, referencing widespread perceptions that the US is a far more steadfast ally than the EU, five of whose member states do not recognise Kosovo.

The high-level dialogue between, interrupted more than two years ago, is expected to restart next month in Brussels.

However, experts say that opposition attempts to shape the dialogue are weakened by their lack of unity over their goals.

Political analyst Imer Mushkolaj said the three main opposition parties, the PDK, LDK and AAK, remain divided on the way the dialogue should be handled.

The head of the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, Enver Hoxhaj, has so refused the PM's request even to meet.

"The opposition does not have a unified position on the dialogue. I see the PDK having only angry...