UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 7, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: Every reason to believe that U.S. support for Kosovo will continue (Klan)
Osmani hosted by Orban in Budapest (Indeksonline)
Osmani: I will not meet Vucic, dialogue meetings are held in Brussels (Klan)
Gervalla to represent Kosovo at high-level forum on Future of Democracy (media)
EU: Government cannot transfer Association responsibilities to municipalities (RTV 21)
Serwer: Division of Ukraine could set precedent for Kosovo and Bosnia (media)
Hehir: Trump’s victory is ominous for Kosovo and Bosnia (media)
EC Report: Kosovo’s IPA processing complaints in efficient manner (Kallxo)
Kos: Kosovo and Serbia, two countries that are on the way to the EU (Klan)
Britain to sign agreement with Kosovo to fight human trafficking gangs (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

Fifth meeting of European Political Community today in Budapest, Vucic represents Serbia (NMagazin, Beta, media)
Vucic arrives at European Political Community summit: I expect open talks in light of new circumstances in world (Tanjug)
Ethno-journalism and public apathy: Kosovo struggle for truthful reporting (KoSSev)
Arlov: I am still banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
Two Swiss residents accused of showing “Greater Albania” symbols in Belgrade banned from entering Serbia for ten years (N1)
Hill: Ties between USA and Serbia are getting stronger every day, in every way (Tanjug)
Finance Minister Mali presents Serbia’s investment plans to US companies (N1)
Kos: End of negotiation process for one or two countries of Western Balkans (FoNet, N1)

Opinion:

Velebit: New US administration will not tolerate unilateral moves by Pristina (Kosovo Online)
Jovic: Trump to have more power than before; to negotiate creation of new international order, Balkans not priority (KoSSev, Insajder)
Taking the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue back to basics (Euractiv)
Shocked by train station disaster, Serbian city shaken again by protest unrest (BIRN)

International:

What’s behind Serbia’s rearmament (Deutsche Welle)
‘We’ve ceased to exist’: Albanians in South Serbia demand end to ‘address passivisation’ (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: Every reason to believe that U.S. support for Kosovo will continue (Klan)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, has said that she believes that the support of the United States of America for Kosovo will continue even during the administration of President Trump.

“Kosovo has had the bipartisan support of every American administration since the early 90s. We have been blessed with that support, and we have every reason to believe that that support will continue with the Trump Administration. I firmly believe that the close cooperation between the EU and America will continue, it is in the interest of security and peace in the world,” Osmani said in Budapest, where she is participating in the meeting of the European Political Community.

Osmani hosted by Orban in Budapest (Indeksonline)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, has thanked the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, for his hospitality. Osmani is in Budapest within the framework of the Summit of the European Political Community, to discuss security challenges in Europe, caused by the war in Ukraine, the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, migration and economic challenges.

"President Osmani will participate in the two plenary sessions of the EPC, as well as deliver two speeches, one in the plenary session and the other in the working table for economic security. In the framework of the Summit, President Osmani will hold bilateral meetings with other European leaders".

Osmani: I will not meet Vucic, dialogue meetings are held in Brussels (Klan)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that she will not have a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Budapest, Hungary. She told the media that the meetings within the dialogue will take place in Brussels. "Normally we don't meet. As you know, Kosovo and Serbia meet within the dialogue process facilitated by the EU, the talks are continuing in Brussels between the chief negotiators, mainly on how we can move forward in the implementation of the agreements that have been reached, Osmani said.

"I will also meet with leaders of other countries to talk about our connections and relations, but also to ask for their support for the Euro-Atlantic integration of Kosovo", she told the media.

Gervalla to represent Kosovo at high-level forum on Future of Democracy (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, travelled to Lithuania where she will represent Kosovo at the high-level forum on the Future of Democracy which will be held on November 7-8 in Vilnius. “At the forum, Minister Gervalla will reiterate Kosovo’s progress in building a sustainable and inclusive democracy, as well as the importance of inter-state cooperation to protect democracy in the face of destabilising influences by autocratic regimes,” a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes.

EU: Government cannot transfer Association responsibilities to municipalities (RTV 21)

The European Union said that the government of Kosovo cannot draft the Association Statute outside the dialogue facilitated in Brussels. "In 2013, Kosovo signed the Brussels Agreement, which was ratified by the Kosovo Assembly with a two-thirds majority. 11 years later, Kosovo has still not taken the necessary steps towards its establishment and is therefore failing to fulfil its clear obligation under international law, which was then reiterated in the 2015 and 2023 agreements. According to the respective Dialogue Agreements of 2013 and 2015, the Statute for the establishment of the ASM should be drawn up and discussed in the Dialogue. Any proposal must be discussed with Serbia and the EU mediator and be in accordance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015. This also means that the government of Kosovo cannot draft the Statue outside the Dialogue", Stano told RTV21.

"The government cannot give up its responsibilities within the Dialogue or delegate them to the Kosovo Serb majority municipalities. In October 2023, in an effort to advance the normalisation process, the EU supported by its member states and partners such as the USA officially presented a draft European statute for the establishment of the Association. This European draft statute is based on European models and good practices, as well as on the legal framework of Kosovo. The draft was delivered to Prime Minister Kurti personally by the EU Facilitator together with the National Security Advisors of France, Germany and Italy as well as the US Special Representative".

"In a high-level meeting in support of the Dialogue in the presence of President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni and Chancellor Scholz, both sides accepted in principle the draft European statute. In its conclusions of December 2023, the European Council welcomed "the readiness of Serbia and Kosovo to accept the draft statute presented to the parties by the EU Facilitator". This is an official recognition of the document by the 27 EU member states. Labelling the draft European statute as "just a non-paper", ignores the invitation of the Council of the European Union to proceed on this basis and further delays the prospect of its creation”, Stano said.

Serwer: Division of Ukraine could set precedent for Kosovo and Bosnia (media)

Several news websites cover an interview that Daniel Serwer, professor at John Hopkins University and political commentator, gave to Al Jazeera Balkans, highlighting his remark that Donald Trump’s eventual support for the division of Ukraine could set precedents for divisions in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I expect Trump will offer even greater unconditional support for Israel. But I think that the first and more dramatic change will relate to Ukraine, where he will try to give one part of Ukraine to Russia in order to force them to stop the war. He talked about this in his election campaign and maybe it will have success … This would then have implications in the Balkans, because a division in Ukraine can set a precedent for divisions in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he argued.

Hehir: Trump’s victory is ominous for Kosovo and Bosnia (media)

Several news websites cover a post on X by Aidan Hehir, political commentator on the Western Balkans, who argued that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections “is ominous for Kosovo and Bosnia”. According to him, “it significantly increases the likelihood that attempts will be made by Serbian nationalists to redraw the borders of both countries. If that happens, conflict is inevitable”.

EC Report: Kosovo’s IPA processing complaints in efficient manner (Kallxo)

The news website reports that the European Commission’s latest report on Kosovo notes that in terms of protection of personal data, “the laws in force are broadly in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Law Enforcement Directive. The Information and Privacy Agency adopted sub-legal acts and increased its staffing capacity. The Agency is processing complaints on access to public documents and on data protection in an independent and efficient manner. The responsiveness of public and private institutions to the Agency’s decisions improved, including thanks to awareness raising”. The report also notes that the agency is not systematically consulted on the drafting of legislation with an impact on personal data protection.

Kos: Kosovo and Serbia, two countries that are on the way to the EU (Klan)

Marta Kos, nominated for the new European Union Enlargement Commissioner, has said that Kosovo and Serbia are two countries that are on the way to becoming members of the EU.

During the hearing today in the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, Kos was also asked about the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, and the dialogue for the normalisation of their relations. "Thank you for mentioning two countries that are on the way to the EU", said Kos.

Speaking about the dialogue process, she said that she will work with the new head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, because these talks, according to Kos, are in the hands of Kallas. She added that there is an agreement on the path towards the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and that according to the Progress Report, both countries should implement the agreement without additional questions.

Britain to sign agreement with Kosovo to fight human trafficking gangs (Indeksonline)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will sign new deals to crack down on criminal gangs smuggling migrants across the Western Balkans as part of efforts to block small boat crossings. Starmer will make public the agreements to increase the exchange of intelligence, expertise and cooperation with Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia at a meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary today, reported the British media “Standard”.

He is expected to urge European partners to take action to reduce deaths in the English Channel during small boat crossings and tell them that legal international cooperation will be key to the effort. British media writes that the Western Balkans is a key route used by migrants who end up in the EU or UK illegally. Almost 100,000 migrants travelled this route last year.

Serbian Language Media

Fifth meeting of European Political Community today in Budapest, Vucic represents Serbia (NMagazin, Beta, media)

Top European Union officials and leaders of 47 European countries will discuss security challenges including the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, irregular migration and economic security and connectivity in Budapest today at the European Political Community summit, reported NMagazin.

Serbia is represented at the summit by President Aleksandar Vucic. As announced by his cabinet, he will address the opening of the Summit and participate in a session on economic security. During the Summit in Hungary, a series of bilateral meetings with European officials has been planned.

The summit will bring together the highest officials of the EU and the leaders of 47 countries, including 27 EU members, the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkiye, Great Britain, Switzerland, Norway. The host of the meeting will be Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The topic of the first plenary session will be the main security challenges for Europe posed by current events, including ''Russia's aggression'' against Ukraine and the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East.

Four separate sessions will discuss migration, including irregular migration and its instrumentalization, economic security and connectivity in the fields of energy, transport, IT, and global trade.

The conclusions from those meetings will be presented at the second plenary session, and then a press conference will be held between Orban and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Albania and Denmark will host meetings of the European Political Community next year. Numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings will be held during the day.

After the start of the war in Ukraine, EU leaders agreed in June 2022 to launch the European Political Community with the aim of bringing European countries closer together, strengthening political dialogue and cooperation between leaders to solve issues of common interest and strengthen the security, stability, and prosperity of Europe.

Vucic arrives at European Political Community summit: I expect open talks in light of new circumstances in world (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has arrived at the European Political Community summit in Budapest and said he expects open talks in light of new geopolitical circumstances and on several topics which are of importance for Serbia, as well as that he expects Europe to make strategic and not bureaucratic decisions, Tanjug news agency reported.

“I will have a distinguished honour to speak both in an open session, and at plenary session, in front of six of us only, to address and speak about the interests of Serbia. At the same time, you have to speak about the position of Europe in the future world, because a lot of things are changing”, Vucic said. He added it is not easy to make conclusions in one day or within a few hours only. Tanjug news agency reported.

While in Budapest, Vucic spoke with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, North Macedonian PM Hristijan Mickoski, Albanian PM Edi Rama, Georgian PM Irakli Kobahidze and Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson.

"Always friendly meetings with colleagues from the EU and our region. We discussed the place and the role of Western Balkan states in the new global political reality, current issues that have a direct impact on the future of all of us, as well as stepping up of cooperation and joining of forces in efforts to achieve peace as the fundamental precondition for Europe's progress," Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

Ethno-journalism and public apathy: Kosovo struggle for truthful reporting (KoSSev)

For two years, North Kosovo has been engulfed in social apathy, with many residents feeling powerless and disconnected from the political process, according to Leposavić-based journalist Ivan Vučković. He alleges that the root of this sentiment lies with politicians and certain media outlets, which he claims are spreading misleading narratives. “The people feel abandoned and powerless, and no one consults them on anything”, Vučković said, describing a community unsure of who represents their interests.

Civil society representative Zoran Savić highlighted another dimension to the issue: the existence of “ethno-journalism“—where media narratives diverge along ethnic lines. Savić noted that it’s common to find drastically different accounts of the same event in Serbian and Albanian-language media, leading to polarised perceptions of reality.

This week, a roundtable discussion held in North Mitrovica brought together local media representatives, NGOs, and journalists from both Serbian and Albanian backgrounds, as well as from Belgrade and Novi Sad.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/xxXax

Arlov: I am still banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

President of Banja Luka-based Committee for Helping Serbs in Kosovo, Milorad Arlov said Pristina authorities once again did not approve his entry in Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reported.

As he said in a statement, he asked Pristina authorities to lift an entry ban they imposed on him and permit him to visit Kosovo, in the period from November 8 to November 10.

“The plea was submitted on my behalf, by a lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic on October 28, and the response was supposed to arrive within the eight days, which did not happen, therefore I consider that, as many times until now I was not allowed to enter Kosovo and Metohija”, Arlov said.

He pointed out that there is no court proceeding against him being held, nor did he commit any offence, and that reasons to ban his entry in Kosovo were nowhere mentioned.

“This violates my freedom of movement, guaranteed by all UN conventions”, Arlov said. He also said that prior to sending the plea to be allowed to enter, he informed all international missions and several embassies in Pristina, that he is banned from entering Kosovo for years and asked their support in resolving this issue.

He said he sent letters, among others, to UNMIK, EULEX, KFOR, embassies of US, UK, Italy, Hungary, Croatia and Turkiye in Pristina.

“I received a reply from EULEX only, with a brief explanation that since 2022 they are not dealing with this issue in Kosovo”, Arlov said.

Two Swiss residents accused of showing “Greater Albania” symbols in Belgrade banned from entering Serbia for ten years (N1)

Two Swiss residents, Bernard C. and Gianfranco V. have made agreements with the Higher Public Prosecution in Belgrade and admitted committing criminal acts of inciting national, racial and religious hatred and intolerance, based on which the Higher Court in Belgrade passed convicting verdicts in their cases, N1 reported.

Gianfranco was sentenced to one year suspended sentence, with a three-year checking deadline, while Bernard C. was sentenced to six months suspended sentence, with a two-year checking deadline, the press statement said. They will also be deported from Serbia and an entry ban in duration of ten years will be imposed on them.

Bernard C. has committed criminal act of abetting incitement of national, racial and religious hatred and intolerance as he on November 2, 2024 took photos of Gianfranco V. with a mobile phone, while the latter was showing with his hands “double-headed eagle” alluding to the symbols of “Greater Albania”.

Bernard C. has dual citizenship, that of Switzerland and Croatia, while Gianfranco V. is citizen of Switzerland.

Hill: Ties between USA and Serbia are getting stronger every day, in every way (Tanjug)

The Ambassador of the United States of America to Serbia, Christopher Hill, said today ties between Serbia and the USA are getting stronger every day, in every aspect, and that, when it comes to the relations between the two countries, there are reasons for optimism, reported Tanjug agency.

He told the journalists in Pirot that Serbia had a difficult history, sometimes very cruel, but when he came to Serbia, he learned it is very important to know history, to learn from it, but to look ahead.

"Every day there is a new connection between the USA and Serbia, one of the symbols of that is the donation of the Ohio National Guard to the firefighters in Pirot. I'm not sure that we would wish to play again at the Olympics against Serbia in basketball, but everything else is getting better", said Hill.

Finance Minister Mali presents Serbia’s investment plans to US companies (N1)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali met Wednesday with representatives of US companies to discuss Serbia’s economic policy and opportunities for expanding cooperation, N1 reported. Mali presented Serbia’s investment plans until 2027 – when Belgrade will host the specialised Expo exhibition – to a delegation comprising Citibank, Visa, Pfizer, and Bechtel representatives, the Ministry said in a press release.

The members of the delegation said they were interested in expanding cooperation with Serbia on big projects which were under way or in preparation. “Despite all the global challenges and conflicts, which I hope will stabilise in the coming period, Serbia manages to remain a leader in the region in attracting foreign direct investment, with a regional share of 63 percent, and growth of that parameter this year too”, the finance minister said.

He added that last year Serbia attracted a record 4.5 billion euros in foreign direct investment but that at the same time it was investing record sums itself, seeing as the share of capital investment in Serbia had reached 7.4 percent of GDP. Mali recalled that Serbia recently obtained an investment-grade credit rating and that its GDP is projected to expand 4.2 percent next year. Specialized Expo 2027 Belgrade will contribute decisively to maintaining this pace of growth, as will the signed agreements on free trade, which are exceptionally attractive to foreign investors, Mali said.

Kos: End of negotiation process for one or two countries of Western Balkans (FoNet, N1)

The candidate for European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said today that the process of accession to the EU is based on merit, and she is convinced that, in cooperation with the European Commission, she can bring one or two countries of the Western Balkans to the end of the negotiation process, reported N1.

''I know that region, I lived in a common state,'' Marta Kos said at a public hearing in the European Parliament before the members of the three committees that should decide whether she is a suitable candidate for that position.

''After ten years, we have the momentum to bring one or two countries to the end of the negotiation process. We can finish the negotiations with Montenegro by the end of 2026, with Albania by the end of 2027, and even the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said, when he was handed the European Commission Report, that he is ready to do everything to bring Serbia into line with the legal EU acquis,'' said Kos.

According to her, action must follow, but we should not forget that the war in Ukraine introduced a new dynamic to the EU enlargement process.

Marta Kos has a career in journalism and diplomacy behind her, including ambassadorships in Berlin and Bern, and is part of the leadership of the liberal Freedom Movement, which was founded in 2022 by the current Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob.

Opinion

Velebit: New US administration will not tolerate unilateral moves by Pristina (Kosovo Online)

The executive director of the Pupin Initiative, Vuk Velebit, told Kosovo Online he expects the pressure on Pristina’s administration from America will significantly increase after the newly elected US President Donald Trump officially takes office, especially regarding the dialogue with Belgrade. He believes unilateral moves, as seen previously, will not be tolerated.

"Given that Trump and those in his closest circle were highly engaged in the dialogue during his first term, I expect that this involvement will continue in the second term, with a ‘footnote’ acknowledging that circumstances have changed both globally and in Europe. With the ongoing war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, it remains to be seen whether the Balkans will be among Trump’s priority issues," Velebit stated.

Nevertheless, he adds that Richard Grenell, who previously served as the Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, is expected to play a significant role in the US administration, possibly as Secretary of State or National Security Advisor, which are two very important roles. Velebit believes that Grenell will be able to influence the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue from such a position.

“He is a welcome guest in Belgrade, and I believe he will have greater sensitivity to the concerns of the Serbian community in Kosovo. More importantly, the US will likely shift from making statements to taking more concrete actions, including sanctions against the harmful and, I would say, anti-American and anti-Western policies of Albin Kurti. Therefore, I expect the pressure on Pristina’s administration to be much greater, and that unilateral moves, as seen previously, will no longer be tolerated,” Velebit emphasised.

According to Velebit, the economy will also be a primary focus, as it was during Trump’s first term and Grenell’s previous involvement in the dialogue.

“We have seen reports in both American and local media about projects planned in Belgrade and on the Albanian coast. I expect that in the context of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, economic issues will be a priority. We will see how the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will progress in the coming period to benefit Belgrade. I think Serbia has an opportunity to position itself as a credible and important American partner in the region, and Trump’s upcoming presidency could strengthen the relationship between Serbia and the US, restoring the alliance that has existed throughout much of our diplomatic history,” Velebit concluded.

Jovic: Trump to have more power than before; to negotiate creation of new international order, Balkans not priority (KoSSev, Insajder)

Professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN) in Zagreb, Dejan Jovic told the program 'World and Us', he was not completely surprised by the victory of Donald Trump in US presidential elections. He pointed out Trump will now have much more power than before, but also a little more experience to implement what he wants. He also believes that he will be inclined to negotiate the modification of the existing or even the creation of a new international order, which is why they have high hopes in Russia and China. However, says Jovic, the Balkans will certainly not be on Trump's list of priorities, reported KoSSev, citing Insajder.

He estimated that American politics will change significantly with the return of Trump to the helm of America.

''I think we have already seen what he is actually trying to do - to exclude himself from all those international organisations, from agreements, from all those foreign policy actions that he does not consider to be absolutely necessary and beneficial to the US itself. So, he will not be a man who will support the survival of the agreement or the stay at all costs of the US in organisations where he does not see a benefit for America itself. His slogan 'America First' will indeed now be re-implemented as the political program of his government," Jovic said.

Trump in the USA will insist more on the economy, on further market liberalisation, but he will also be a man who will not advocate some particularly liberal social values, said Jovic.

"In a way, he will be, as Ognjen Pribicevic said in his new book 'Another World', an advocate of illiberal hegemony in international relations, as well as in domestic politics. Or, as another colleague of mine said, he's going to advocate something called paleo-conservatism, which really means he's going to try to restore US sovereignty, US sovereign power, and US independence from the international order itself. In this sense, I believe that he will be inclined to negotiate some kind of modification of the existing or even the creation of a new international order, which is why, of course, both Russia and China have high hopes for it," added Jovic.

Jovic said that compared to 2016, and 2020 when Trump lost elections, now it can be expected of him to be inspired, among other things - more than in the first mandate - to some kind of need for revenge against the existing democratic apparatus.

"He was full of anger both because of those various lawsuits and because of everything else that happened in the beginning. So, I think maybe he'll be tougher in that sense. On the other hand, the world has changed quite a bit. In his first term, we had a relatively stable world order, which he disturbed. With this war in Ukraine, first, we actually have the disturbance of the world from the other side - from Russia - so it will be much easier for him in a way to implement some revisionist or different policy compared to the usual one. He now has partners for revising the world order if he really wants to," Jovic said.

He adds that this is his last term, and every president entering his second term is much freer.

"Now he will be unrestrained and because, as we can see, he will have a majority in the Senate, so there will be no possibility of any removal, no impeachment, or any major criticism of himself. So, he will have much more power, and he has a little more experience to implement what he wants," says the professor of Zagreb FPN.

The expectations of the region are unrealistic

The leaders of our region rejoiced at Trump's victory, and it seems that the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, was the happiest. According to Jovic, this is also paradoxical because Dodik is on the US sanctions list.

"I saw something today that looks like some kind of good joke, which is that the Serbs have five presidents - Vucic, Dodik, Xi Jinping, Putin, and now Trump. If you follow some media, you can see that there is a positive opinion about these three foreigners," he said. In his opinion, the expectations from Trump here are too high and unrealistic.

"And the last time he was president, he did not question, for example, the American policy towards the independence of Kosovo, he did not lead to the non-recognition of Kosovo... I would even say that in some aspects he might have been more explicit or wanted to achieve some more explicit things that for Serbia itself were not too positive," Jovic points out.

Republicans have favourites in the Balkans

He believes that the Balkans will certainly not be on the list of Trump's priorities, but he states that some people who are in his administration or could come there again have an affinity for the Balkans and have their favourites here.

"But they often have more than one favourite, so they are good with the authorities in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia, they have some business interests and other connections... So, we can expect occasional campaigns of US interest and presence in the region itself. I think that the Western Balkans will be analysed even more in the context of the big game between, above all, Russia, and the USA. Trump will not be able to end the war in Ukraine in one day, as he announced...'' said Jovic adding that ''if he makes an agreement with Russia about it, the question is how it will be reflected in the Western Balkans. Will that agreement, for example, be such that concessions are made to Russia in Ukraine, perhaps in Moldova and Georgia, and that, on the other hand, Russia makes concessions in the Western Balkans when it comes to the issues of BiH and Serbia and their orientation towards the West. We have to see how it will look like, but the fate of the WB will be determined more by the global game, than someone being very focused on the Western Balkans itself," concluded Dejan Jovic.

Taking the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue back to basics (Euractiv)

Opinion piece by Ian Bancroft, a writer and former diplomat based in the Western Balkans. He is the author of ‘Luka’ and ‘Dragon’s Teeth - Tales from North Kosovo’.

The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue could, historically at least, be articulated in terms of two distinct tracts - ‘political’ and ‘technical’. When relations were strained - as they regularly were, even before current Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti - some progress on the latter was still possible.

With dialogue at a low ebb and the EU contemplating how best to reset or restructure the process, it is imperative to consider potential areas where progress can be made without new agreements.

Technical issues profoundly impact the lives of ordinary people. Previously, an insurance surcharge was required for vehicles entering Kosovo and vice versa until an agreement quietly entered into force in mid-2015, substantially cutting costs for motorists. The savings were quietly celebrated as an act of common sense.