Russian news agency Itar-Tass estimates that Brussels, after six-months of negotiations, definitely pressured Belgrade to agree to a compromise on normalizing relations with Pristina and the EU will accept Serbia into its ranks only after the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. The agency states that “it is not surprising that in Pristina and in many countries, an agreement was rated as a de facto recognition of Kosovo’s independence.”
Basically, Belgrade agreed not to block the Albanian authorities of Kosovo to join the EU and other international organizations, in exchange for limited autonomy for Serbian municipalities. The Agency estimates that “it happened exactly as Hashim Thaci said “- the document is de jure recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia.
When commenting “what forced Serbia to sign a so obviously unfavorable agreement,” the agency stated that it seems that three factors had role in it. The first is the unprecedented international pressure on Belgrade, and then economic interests and the extreme need of Belgrade for foreign investment, the agency said.
The third factor because of which Belgrade agreed to the agreement is “one that is usually left unsaid,” and that is “Serbia started negotiations as a state that has lost the war with NATO, in 1999.”
Proceeding from this, many things become clear: The winners are not judged, and losers, in this case Serbia, “pay with part of its territory unreasonable policies of Slobodan Milosevic.” In doing so, Serbia managed to bargain not the worst of all possible conditions – for themselves and for the Kosovo Serbs, says Itar-Tass.
The Agency stated that Serbia must now quickly gain a promised date of commencement of negotiations on EU accession. But, although officially the Brussels doesn’t talk about this, diplomatic sources do not hide the fact that Serbia can complete the negotiations and to join the EU only if it formally recognize Kosovo.
The reason for this, according to Itar-Tas, is simple: Without recognition of Kosovo by Belgrade, it cannot be admitted to the EU, because in the EU cannot coexist the two countries with unresolved territorial issues, the editorial said. Itar-Tass concluded that starting negotiations with Belgrade, the EU will continue to exercise sharp pressure on Serbia, to recognize Kosovo’s independence.
