On January 15, 2025, Brussels will host the inaugural meeting of the Joint Commission on Missing Persons, to be held at the deputy level. Kosovo’s delegation will be led by Halil Cenaj, as announced by Andin Hoti, the Chairman of the Government Commission for Missing Persons. Hoti highlighted that Kosovo’s main concerns focus on monitoring the implementation of the Declaration on Missing Persons, particularly regarding the archives.

“The meeting will aim to set the work plan for future sessions and address key issues concerning missing persons. Our delegation will present important requests, especially monitoring the implementation of the Declaration and the letter regarding archives, which we’ve addressed to Vucic,” Hoti said.

Miroslav Lajcak, the European Union’s Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, also noted that the focus in Brussels this week will be on the first meeting of the Joint Commission. Lajcak shared insights on the need to advance the dialogue, mentioning his recent discussions with senior U.S. officials. “My first mission of the year took me to Washington D.C., where I had detailed talks with Assistant Secretary of State Jim O’Brien and Deputy Assistant Secretary Sasha Kasanof. We discussed the geopolitical challenges and the importance of advancing the Normalization Dialogue in the region,” Lajcak writes.

Lajcak also briefed U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma ahead of his visit to the region.

Kosovo and Serbia agreed in December 2024 on the full implementation of the joint declaration on forcibly disappeared persons. The establishment of the Commission was formalized during a trilateral meeting in Brussels between the chief negotiators and the EU envoy.

/k.s/