"I'm off to somewhere - let Pacolli try to figure out where" (RTS, B92)
Pristina should stop provoking the Serb people and Serbia, as Albanians in Kosovo are no longer in a position to threaten anyone, says Ivica Dacic.
The Serbian foreign minister and first deputy PM told RTS on Wednesday that yesterday's arrest of five Serbs in Kosovo was a hostile act that does not contribute creating a positive atmosphere for dialogue.
"One step forward, two steps back is a phrase to describe relations with Pristina, and there are fewer steps forward and more steps backwards. When I say one step forward, I mean the meeting in Brussels where President Vucic invited me to participate as well. The conclusion of that meeting was to create an atmosphere for dialogue, but these moves are hostile acts and do not create a positive atmosphere for dialogue," Dacic noted.
He explained that the arrested Serbs were released after Belgrade threatened to stop the dialogue. "The question of the meaning of it, and for how long things will be like this, is being raised. We need to find a more solid basis for progress in the dialogue. If we look at what is happening in Pristina, we will see that the atmosphere of chaos prevails, where one branch of government or one set of individuals do not know what the other is doing. This is a boycott of the dialogue, because they do not want the dialogue to succeed and they think that someone will force Serbia to recognize Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence," said Dacic.
The head of Serbia's diplomacy also stressed that he would depart on a trip later today but refused to provide any details. "Today I am traveling, and I will not say where. Let Pacolli think about it," Dacic said.
The Albanians live in the past and forget that those to whom they raised monuments are no longer in power, the minister remarked.
"We are constructive to such a degree that somebody is interpreting it as a weakness. We are a strong side because we know what we want. We are ready to talk about possible compromises," Dacic said. He pointed out that the number of countries that recognize Kosovo will soon fall below 100.
"What can be the European perspective of Kosovo? The most they can get is visa liberalization, because they've been promised that," Dacic said.
According to him, the five EU member-states that have not recognized Kosovo will not allow any higher level of Kosovo's integration. "They are not aware of the world they live in today, and that the one who is dictating changes in the world is US President Donald Trump. Relations between the EU and the United States are hostile, because when somebody engages in a trade war it is hostile," Dacic stressed. He added, "To us specifically, Trump is guilty of nothing."
"As far as the EU is concerned, I didn't hear them react (to the arrests in Kosovo) yesterday. Deafness and muteness is a serious disease. They live in a world of their own, and a solution for Kosovo will not happen without the participation of Russia and the United States," said Dacic.
The minister also remarked that he did not think the issue of Kosovo would be address in the upcoming meeting between the presidents of Russia and the US.