As long as USA and the EU are not ready to concretely punish Kosovo Albanians, by cutting financial support for example, they will not give up on the current attitude, former US Ambassador to Serbia William Montgomery said, Tanjug news agency reported.
“What I am asking are not words or demarche, but rather concrete steps, such as the abolishment of financial support,” Montgomery said.
Serbian National Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Chairman Milovan Drecun said he believes a way would be found to abolish tariffs Pristina imposed on the goods from Serbia, BETA news agency reports.
He added Kosovo Prime Minister Haradinaj and President Thaci need to “find an exit strategy” from a situation they brought themselves in, otherwise they risk losing support of “the sponsors of Kosovo independence.”
USA Ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison said the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina would also mitigate other problems on the both sides, Tanjug news agency reported.
“We want Kosovo and Serbia to work together on normalization. Normalization would contribute to mitigate many other open issues that both sides have,” Ambassador Hutchison said.
She added it is NATO’s wish to overcome historic problems in the territories of Serbia and Kosovo and to establish inclusive minority rights “on both sides of the borders.”
Deadline to reach an agreement on Kosovo has been extended by the end of this year, Belgrade-based daily Danas writes referring to its diplomatic sources. The daily added at the moment the US is mainly focused on Venezuela, while the EU is dealing with forthcoming elections for the European Parliament.
Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies Jelena Milic said the time is not right for opposition protests in Serbia. Milic also said that now is not the moment because the finalization of negotiations with Pristina, which should be completed as soon as possible, is in the interest of the security of the whole region and should currently have priority.
Whether or not Serbia will free itself in 2019 of the shackles of the Kosovo problem - the alpha and omega of its foreign and domestic policies - depends largely on the diplomatic capabilities of its president.
The unresolved conflict with Kosovo’s Albanians places Serbia on a cross between East and West, while on the domestic front the fact that the country is a candidate for EU membership is used as an excuse: how can a country reform while its national sovereignty and integrity are endangered?
Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said he respects the fact the US is exerting pressure on Pristina to revoke tariffs on the goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tanjug news agency reports.
However, he does not believe the US would succeed in making Pristina to do so.
Dacic told Voice of America that Ramush Haradinaj and Hashim Thaci play different roles in negotiations on Kosovo and it us unclear “who is whose cop”.
US Ambassador to Serbia, Kyle Scott in a meeting with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said the US is continuously urging Pristina authorities to revoke tariffs on goods from Serbia, BETA news agency reports.
He also noted the tariffs represent an obstacle to the dialogue, press statement of the Serbian Government reads. According to the statement, Ambassador Scot said US supports Belgrade’s efforts to normalize relations with Pristina and remain ready to help in reaching a sustainable solution that would enable stability and progress of the entire region.
Deputy Assistant US Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, Matthew Palmer met with outgoing Kosovo Minister for Communities and Returns Dalibor Jevtic in Washington, BETA news agency reported.
Palmer said Pristina’s decision on tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina must be suspended in order to open a way to the dialogue.
As the press announcement from Jevtic’s cabinet noted, Palmer said it is an official US position.
Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said that a lasting solution in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should be reached as soon as possible, since a change in the international relations might occur, BETA news agency reports.
“It is necessary to speed up the dialogue, reach a lasting solution, do not waste time, and for the Serbian interests it would be good to end this process as soon as possible, since international relations might change, Dacic said during the news conference with Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.