French President Emmanuel Macron plans to appoint a special envoy for the Western Balkans, who would have an active role in resolving the Kosovo issue, Belgrade-based Blic daily reports today.
According to unofficial findings, President Macron has informed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic about the plan during his visit to Serbia. The daily further continues Macron intents to actively engage in this region.
After eight months of delay caused by problems at home, French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Belgrade on Monday for a two-day official visit expected to patch up recent disagreements between Serbia and France, otherwise traditional friends, N1 reported.
Serbian capital is decorated with French and Serbian flags along the route President Macron is going to pass, while the main city’s Kalemegdan Park will welcome the French President with inscriptions in French language.
Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said today he hopes that French President Emmanuel Macron, who is coming to visit Belgrade, would end a “game” related to the Pristina’s tariffs and offer assurances it would end soon, Danas daily reports.
Responding to a question, if France can influence Pristina to revoke the tariffs in order to continue the negotiations with Belgrade, Dacic said he hopes to hear that response from the French President.
Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric met today with the Turkish Ambassador to Serbia Tanju Bilgic and presented to him problems in the supply of the Serbian population in Kosovo with basic life commodities, following Pristina’s decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on goods from central Serbia, RTS reports.
Djuric warned that Pristina still tries to prevent in all possible ways or make difficult supply of the food and medicaments, adding that supply of the population in northern Kosovo thus remains irregular and uncertain.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic called on the European Union to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania as soon as possible since, as she said, that was crucially important for the Western Balkans, BETA news agency reported.
Brnabic underlined Serbia’s “full and unreserved” support of its neighbors’ European integration.
US Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott said today that Pristina should revoke the tariffs on goods from Serbia in order to continue negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, adding that the US still recognizes the leadership of the EU in this process, TV Most reported.
Asked if the US would use its influence in order to make Pristina return to the negotiation table, Ambassador Scott noted that the US still recognizes the leadership of the European Union in this process, and it is the most important that all sides return to the negotiations.
I wonder why Ramush Haradinaj even cares about me when even the powerful Trump, Merkel or Macron cannot harm him, President Aleksandar Vucic asks ironically. He said this with regards to Haradinaj's observation that Vucic attempts to force Pristina to abolish tariffs, while the mentioned world leaders haven't managed to do that, B92 reports.
"What can humble Vucic do compared to Merkel and Macron? Haradinaj is among the greatest in world politics, I am not. I am beyond his league, so he shouldn't bother", Vucic responded when asked to comment on the quotes of Haradinaj's letter.
After two days of closure, shops in the north of Kosovo and Metohija were open today, Serbian national broadcaster RTS reports. As a sign of protest against 100 percent tariffs Pristina imposed on goods from central Serbia, all shops, restaurants, bakeries and petrol stations were closed for two days.
Foreign policy commentator of Belgrade-based daily Politika and military analyst Miroslav Lazanski told RTS if Washington pressures Pristina to move towards compromise solution then a way out of the current situation is possible. According to him Europe showed infirmity regarding Kosovo. Lazanski added that Americans publicly say one thing, while the other thing is being done behind the scene.
Speaking for RTS morning program Lazanski assessed the situation in the north of Kosovo as complex saying, “Pristina did not spend the time sleeping.”
All shops, restaurants and business premises in the north of Kosovo and Metohija remain closed since yesterday RTS reports. The Association of Businessmen would decide how long it would last. As said earlier they were not able to run their businesses for more than seven months due to the tariffs Pristina imposed on the goods from central Serbia.