By: Milan Simurdic
If Serbia’s path towards the EU hits a blockage and the country shifts toward Russia and China, former president Tomislav Nikolic could conceivably stage a political resurrection.
One year after he left the presidential office, Serbia’s former head of state, Tomislav Nikolic, is far from the public horizon.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the solution between Serbia and Kosovo must be rational, and that all problems be resolved in peace.
Vucic said that after talks in Brussels with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
He said that several things had been achieved on Sunday, and that they are very important for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
Ahead of Sunday's meeting between the Kosovo and Serbia Presidents, the two countries are still arguing over the agenda – while Germany has denied seeking Federica Mogherini's replacement as chief negotiator in the process.
Germany’s ambassador in Belgrade, Axel Dittmann, has denied that Berlin wants EU foreign police chief Federica Mogherini replaced as the organiser of EU-led negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo on normalisation of relations.
Ahead of the Sunday meeting between the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo, the chiefs of the Belgrade and Pristina negotiating teams will continue a technical part of the dialogue in Brussels on Friday, with pessimism looming over the event.
The EU facilitator in this part of the talks, expected to last two days, will be Angelina Eichhors, the director for Western Balkans in the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Belgrade media reported.
They also said the agenda would include all open issues related to the agreements reached so far.
German Ambassador to Serbia, Axel Dittmann said his country supports the meeting of Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci on Sunday, since resolving relations with neighbours, in addition to reforms, modernization and the rule of law, are EU requests towards Serbia, BETA news agency reported.
Responding to a question on the possibility that a special negotiator Federica Mogherini is replaced by somebody else, Ambassador Dittmann responded it is not true.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said, on the statements given by Kosovo's representatives regarding the continuation of the dialogue, that he told the representatives of the European Union that, if those are Albanian attitudes then one should not waste the time on going to Brussels to continue the dialogue, reports Belgrade based daily Danas.
Aleksandar Vucic, the President of Serbia, has confirmed he will attend a meeting with his Kosovo’s counterpart Hashim Thaci on June 24 in Brussels but added he was not either pessimistic or optimistic regarding the outcome.
He said Belgrade delegation had no any pre-condition and that its only task was to protect the interests of its people.
European Commission and the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini by organizing a meeting at the level of presidents in Brussels this Sunday, want to move a frozen dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina ahead, analyst Dusan Janjic said.
Balkan watchers say Serbia and Kosovo will be under more pressure to resolve their dispute now that Greece and Macedonia have terminated their own decades-long disagreement.
Diplomatic and Balkan experts say the announced solution to the Macedonia-Greece "name" dispute will add to the pressure on the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to finally solve their own dispute over the former Serbian province's status and future.
Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci should meet on Sunday, June 24, at a new round of dialogue in Brussels, Prva TV is reporting.
The European Foreign Service said that the two presidents should discuss above all reaching a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations, while the implementation of the already reached agreements will be the second place of the agenda.