From the praise of the EU and US officials on account of the recent visit of Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to Serbia, despite Rama’s statement in the middle of Belgrade that “Kosovo’s independence is a reality,” could be understood that the (un) diplomatic incident will not jeopardize the continued political dialogue Belgrade and Pristina.
Moreover, the British Ambassador in Pristina, Ian Cliff warned yesterday that without the continuation of dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, the security of the region will come into question.
Interlocutors of Danas – Director of the Serbian government’s Office of Media Relations, Milivoje Mihajlovic, the former Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic and political analysts in Belgrade and Pristina, Dusan Janjic and Fatmir Sheholi also do not expect Rama’s behaviour to endanger the continuation of the talks in Brussels. Regardless of Rama, Samardzic indicates that, despite an advanced negotiation process, Belgrade still has a chance to “desist from recognizing Kosovo’s independence.”
– Rama’s behaviour will not affect the implementation of the Brussels Treaty, or the continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. He came here to say what he said, because he is fighting for political paternalism over all Albanians in the Balkans, which causes greater Albanian ambitions and feelings in them – told Danas Milivoje Mihajlovic.
Dusan Janjic estimates that the two contradictory statements of Prime Ministers on Kosovo actually will facilitate the negotiations – two or three rounds at the level of the prime minister, then a technical dialogue, which should all be completed by final agreement. This document will, according to Janjic words, enter into Chapter 35 for Serbia’s negotiations with the EU.
– The signing of a legally binding agreement is planned only after full normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, which will last more than 10 years and it will be a condition for Serbia’s entry into the European Union – explains to Danas Dusan Janjic.
He expects at the negotiating table in Brussels, Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci. Unlike Janjic, Fatmir Sheholi claims that Vucic’s interlocutor in Brussels will be representative of the Albanian post-election coalition VLAN consisted of: LDK, Isa Mustafa, AAK, Ramush Haradinaj, and the Initiative for Kosovo Fatmir Limaj and Self-Determination.
– Everybody is saying to Vucic and the Serbian establishment that Kosovo independence is a reality, just nobody said so publicly as Rama. In addition, if he didn’t say so, Albanians would treat him as a traitor. All this will not affect the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which will continue as soon as the institutions in Pristina are formed – says Sheholi, who reproached the Prime Minister of Albania for “not laying flowers on the grave of the late Zoran Djindjic, in order to show that he is on the democracy path”.
Sheholi argues that the political crisis in Pristina will resolve no later than the 5th of December and that as early as next week, the Assembly of Kosovo will be constituted and get the president. He is categorical that “there will be no new Kosovo parliamentary elections, especially after the statement of the US Ambassador and the UK in Pristina, recent visit of Isa Mustafa and Ramush Haradinaj to Berlin and yesterday’s visit of Isa Mustafa and Hashim Thaci to Brussels.”
Slobodan Samardzic said that “the objective reality is more complicated than Rama’s opinion that only NATO army in the field is sufficient.” Objective reality says interlocutor of Danas, is “legal recognition, which is why the West so much is hovering around Belgrade and praises all his moves.”
– The Government of Serbia has room to manoeuvre, because the signature on a legally binding document is in its hands, though I doubt it will use it. You cannot expect much from Belgrade. Since the time of DS and Borislav Stefanovic, who accepted the first agreements with Pristina to Brussels Treaty, great steps were made towards recognition of Kosovo’s independence and the territorial sovereignty of Serbia was jeopardized. But, until everything is finished, nothing is done. Serbian Government can pull out from the negotiations that lead to finalization of the document on good neighbourly relations – warns Slobodan Samardzic.
Kukan: Rama and Vucic to be wise
Visit of Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to Belgrade is certainly an important step in relations between Serbia and Albania, said to Danas, Eduard Kukan, head of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Serbia, in response to a question whether the rhetoric of Rama during his stay in Belgrade can be considered diplomatic scandal and how he evaluates his visit.
Kukan states that Rama and Vucic should use their “leadership and wisdom” to give new impetus to the improvement of relations between their countries and to reduce the tensions that existed in previous weeks. “In this context, I think it is necessary that the different sensitivities between Serbia and Albania are considered in a more constructive and responsible manner,” he said.
Patriarch Kirill is not going to Kosovo
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who today begins visit to Serbian Orthodox Church, will not go to Kosovo, because there is no guarantee of security, said the Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Igor Jakimcuk. He said that the attitude of ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) on Kosovo as a “holy Serbian land” is unchanged, and that it would be one of the main topics of conversation in Belgrade.
