Washington Agreement is (not) an Internationally Binding Bilateral Treaty
Washington Agreement is (not) an Internationally Binding Bilateral Treaty

Summary/Abstract: In September 2020, the former U.S. administration under President Donald Trump organized a signing ceremony in the White House between Kosovo and Serbia. The parties signed respective documents, committing themselves to economic normalization. Colloquially referred to as the “Washington Agreement,” the signed documents were presented as a breakthrough in reconciliation between former wartime foes. However, the true nature of the Washington Agreement (W.A.) remains disputed to this day. This study examines the accurate nature of this agreement, including its legal weight and contractual ramifications. This will be achieved by analyzing the W.A.’s core, legal nature, the status of the U.S. concerning the Agreement, and the lack of credibility-enhancing devices in the W.A. a detailed assessment will be made using qualitative research methods that are expected to lead to the conclusion that the W.A. is not a bilateral agreement that is legally binding for the signatories. Rather, it is more a letter of intent and manifestation of goodwill by Kosovo and Serbia, respectively.

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