Kosovo Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli said that he was against the idea of a correction of the Kosovo border and estimated that the solution was to establish a common economic zone, reports Serbian media.

Pacoli in Vienna, in his statement to Belgrade based news agency Tanjug, where he had a speech in the EU representation, said that there should not be divisions on the grounds of ethnicity, language, religion and anything else, but that we must live together and be committed to the economy.

Vecernje Novosti today write that the authorities in Pristina largely present to the western embassies their solution for the status of an independent Kosovo in which the position of the Serbs would be arranged by the model of South Tyrol in Italy.

This action coincided with the agreement of Hashim Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj that there is no negotiation of demarcation and threatens to place Belgrade before a fait accompli, Novosti learns.

By: Vladimir Gligorov

An agreement on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo appears to be becoming more likely. The deal apparently involves the correction of the borders or a swap of territories. How did the parties in conflict arrive there? What are the regional and international ramifications? And what are the chances for success?

See at: https://wiiw.ac.at/rights-and-territories-in-the-western-balkans-n-336.html

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said yesterday “that we are very far away from any solution” in relation to Kosovo and if he “may predict” Belgrade “would get nothing” from negotiations with Pristina, Danas daily reported.

Asked to comment on the Kosovo Prime Minister opposing Hashim Thaci to continue talks with him, Vucic responded “he does not want to get involved in their internal matters.”

Former Serbian Minister of Defense, Dragan Sutanovac told N1 on Wednesday that the reintroduction of mandatory military service is just a media initiative aimed at diverting public attention from Kosovo as the most crucial topic.

Sutanovac added he doubts it would be realized, saying the current Defense Ministry is “lost and incapable of finishing the process of professionalization of the army.”

Today, the Belgrade press writes there would be no extraordinary session of the Serbian Orthodox Church Holly Archbishop’s Synod. However, Blic daily reports the session could be held if a referendum on Kosovo and Metohija is announced.

According to the Blic daily, ever since the Serbian Orthodox Church adopted a stance on Kosovo, which says, “neither independence nor division,” and President Vucic is proposing delineation, relations between church and state became strained.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said in a meeting with delegation of German Bundestag that Serb-Albanian agreement was of crucial importance for both sides.

Vucic talked with the Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU faction in the German parliament, Johann Wadephul and the group's foreign affairs ​adviser Hans-Joachim Falenski about bilateral relationship, Serbia's road to EU and the situation in the region.

If a referendum was held now, 55 percent of Serbian nationals would say yes to the country’s European Union membership, a Ministry for European Integration’s survey published on Tuesday said, the Beta news agency reported.

The survey following the Euro-barometer standards covered 1,050 respondents older than 18 years of age, showed that all positive perceptions of the EU were on the rise.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel confirmed she spoke over the phone with USA President Donald Trump and one of the topics discussed was resolving the problem between Belgrade and Pristina, TV N1 reported.

According to TV N1, Merkel said that existing territories are a value and it should be taken into consideration that certain solutions do not cause consequences in other countries.

The Belgrade – Pristina talks will be difficult and complicated, and the negotiators will “fight” over the smallest details, while sharp public reactions are expected, Belgrade-based Politika daily acting editor-in-chief told N1.

Zarko Rakic added that "we will see how the current regime would manage to cushion them.”

He added it would be difficult for Belgrade’s authorities “to precisely and convincingly explain to people why the moment for negotiation is now.”