Ivica Dacic says that Serbia will in 2019 certainly intensively deal with the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, and "probably in a different format than until now."

"No one can say - we will solve Kosovo and Metohija next year, at least no serious politician in our country and abroad. As far as I'm concerned, I would like to have an agreement and a solution tomorrow, but that's not realistic, many more things need to fall into place," the foreign minister told the weekly Nedeljnik.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has sent holiday greetings to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic.

In his message dated December 21, Lavrov said that Moscow is ready for further close cooperation "on the Kosovo issue."
The Foreign Ministry announced in a press release late on Tuesday that Dacic was presented with Lavrov's New Year and Christmas (to be celebrated in Serbia and Russia on January 7) message during a meeting in Belgrade with Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Chepurin.

Stanislav Hocevar, Belgrade Archbishop in an interview with Belgrade based daily Vecernje Novosti says that Catholics have many problems in Kosovo, especially with emigration. Less Catholic believers in Kosovo, less readiness for dialogue.

He added that it would be good if the Catholic Church is included in the dialogue on the future of Kosovo.

A Serbian government official said there has never been any official talk about the annexation to Kosovo of three municipalities in southern Serbia.

Zoran Stankovic, head of the Coordination Body for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja said an exchange of territories was only mentioned by some Kosovo Albanian political leaders.

A retired Yugoslav diplomat Vladislav Jovanovic assessed that Serbia’s right to sovereignty over Kosovo and Metohija is stronger than the right of self-declared Kosovo to its own sovereignty, saying other countries that have interests in the Balkans would decide on the resolution of Kosovo issue, and not only the US, Blic daily reported.

US President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Alexander Vucic, which Tanjug agency on Thursday said it had seen.

The letter, dated December 14, "stressed that the unique opportunity to reach a solution for Kosovo should be seized."

According to Tanjug, it reads as follows:

"Dear Mr. President,

President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday congratulated his counterpart Vladimir Putin on Russia's day of security services employees. Vucic also thanked Putin for Russia's principled position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, and expressed his satisfaction with Putin's forthcoming visit to Serbia.

In a telegram in which he referred to Putin as "friend," Vucic further stated:

The EU sees a letter that the US President Donald Trump has sent to presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci as a sign of support and encouragement to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Tanjug news agency reports.

This was said by EU Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic.

“We see this letter as a sign of support and encouragement by the USA to the dialogue that is held under the EU’s auspices,” Kocijancic said.

Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs, Nebojsa Stefanovic said Serbs in Kosovo do not trust Pristina institutions, adding that Pristina’s police and army cannot replace KFOR and EULEX, Tanjug news agency reports.

According to him, Pristina by establishing the so-called army wanted to show that Kosovo no longer needs international presence.

“It is unacceptable because Serbs do not trust these structures. Without KFOR there, we would enter a crisis situation,” Stefanovic told TV Pink.

Obviously, there is a decision in the US administration to use the opportunity and push the story on the resolution of Belgrade-Pristina issue forward, analyst Obrad Kesic told Prva TV.

However, he termed the timing to do so as “strange” since relations between Belgrade and Pristina have escalated.