Kupchan Disagrees with Trump: Economic Normalization is Not a Guarantee of Political Normalization

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - If you look throughout history, economic integration is not a guarantee of political reconciliation, says Charles Kupchan, a member of the American Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Georgetown University, for Radio Free Europe (RSE) regarding the agreement signed on Friday by Serbia and Kosovo with the USA.

“In fact, in a large number of cases that come to mind, you have had economic integration without significant political impact. That is why I think it is important for the talks between Pristina and Belgrade to continue more in a political direction. Otherwise, you could see an increase in trade between Kosovo and Belgrade, new border crossings, highways – without it leading to political normalization,” Kupchan points out.

"I think it can be said with certainty that it is a significant step forward in the right direction that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia have signed an agreement that should lead to greater economic integration. This is a big deal considering how complicated the relations between these two countries have been since Kosovo declared independence. I don't want to overstate the significance of the agreement. I would not agree with Donald Trump that this is a historic breakthrough, because there is still a lot of work to be done. We have seen in the past that agreements reached on railways or highways are not always implemented. Let's wait and see what happens," adds Kupchan.

He says there are reasons for optimism and satisfaction.

"One of the things that concerns me, looking at the details of the agreement, is that it is almost exclusively economic in nature and has very little political content. I think the main political content in the agreement is that Kosovo will not seek membership in international organizations for the next year, and that the Serbian side will refrain from campaigning for the withdrawal of recognition. Almost everything else relates to economic ties or humanitarian issues. If you look back, agreements that are primarily economic and lack political content do not achieve their proclaimed goal," Kupchan stated in an interview with Radio Free Europe.