The European Union said Kosovo MPs should end the political deadlock preventing the formation of a new government because the country has “no time to lose” to press ahead with vital reforms.
“Kosovo has no time to lose,” the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy office told BIRN as Kosovo remained without a government two months after holding general elections.
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's foreign minister and a top ally of President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested a compromise to end a conflict over Kosovo, the newest independent European state that is blocking Serbia's hopes of European Union membership.
Serbia, where many regard Kosovo as the cradle of their nation and Orthodox Christian faith, refuses to recognize the independence of its former Southern province and has been blocking its membership in organizations including Interpol and UNESCO.
Self-determination movement candidate for the Kosovo Prime Minsiter, Albin Kurti said he is not against the dialogue, but thinks this dialogue should be held with Serbs from Kosovo, while for the Association of the Serb Communities, he said it is imagined as a new Republic of Srpska, Serbian media reported.
Kurti said that during the last six-years of dialogue there was too much investment and too little benefits.
According to him, “the time has come to think why it went that way. We need to talk with the EU about negotiations with Belgrade.”
Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, has sent a report to European Union authorities on the process of implementation of agreements reached in the framework of normalization of relations dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
Reporting about the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste, German newspaper Die Welt writes that "the EU wants to create a new mini-Yugoslavia in the Balkans."
This is according to Croatia's Index website, which said the summit brought together "the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as the leaders of Germany, France and Italy, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic."
Declaration issued by the Italian chair on July 12, 2017
In the framework of the Western Balkans Process, Italy welcomed in Trieste on 12th July 2017 the Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers and the Ministers of Economy of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Slovenia, United Kingdom and representatives of the European Union and the International Financial Institutions. Western Balkans Ministers of Transport also met together with Italian and EU Institutions.
The European Union Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, told Tema that statements for eventual national unification of Albanians in case EU does not open doors for Kosovo and Albania, are dangerous and unacceptable. “First of all, there is an uncontested perspective of all Western Balkans countries to join the EU and we will continue to work with all partners in the region in a bilateral manner on their European road.
All talk, no action? Cooperative economic projects have been the hot topic ahead of a conference between leaders from the EU and Western Balkan countries. But EU expansion in the region remains as elusive as ever.
This is according to the Vienna-based daily Presse, that cites "warnings" about the EU "losing the Western Balkans" that have been "piling up in various publications."
Media interests in the region is increasing, reporters are being sent there and reports published, says Presse.
Maja Kocijancic, EU's Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations told Serbian news agency Tanjug that the speed and date of Serbia’s joining the EU depends mainly on Serbia’s progress on implementation of reforms and normalization of the relations with Kosovo. She added that the EU will be working with Serbia for a stronger and faster process of membership. “The EU is strongly engaged on Serbia’s strategic objective of EU membership.