The political settlement in the former Yugoslavia is unraveling. In Bosnia, the weakest state in the region, both Serbs and Croats are mounting a concerted challenge to the Dayton peace accords, the delicate set of compromises that hold the country together. In Macedonia, political figures from the large Albanian minority are calling for the federalization of the state along ethnic lines. In Kosovo, the Serb minority is insisting on the creation of a network of self-governing enclaves with effective independence from the central government.

Ukraine's Ambassador in Belgrade Oleksandr Aleksandrovych says Serbia's vote against a UN resolution on Crimea "could return like a boomerang."

"There's an English expression - 'to shoot yourself in the foot'. I believe that is exactly what Serbia has done with such a vote, because at some point in the future, such a decision may come back like a boomerang in your efforts to keep Kosovo. I don't understand why you are doing this," Aleksandrovych has told the Belgrade-based newspaper Blic.

However, this is not the end of the fight for our national interests, says Aleksandra Djurovic, the head of Serbia's delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Serbia's delegation succeeded in preventing the adoption of a memorandum which would have given several seats to representatives of the Kosovo Assembly in the plenary hall in Strasbourg, as well as the opportunity to participate in discussions, suggest proposals, and sign draft resolutions.

A FEW weeks ago, in a burger bar in Kosovo’s capital Pristina, a man heard me say I was from Scotland and struck up a conversation. He had lived in the Sighthill area of Glasgow for some years, came home after the Kosovo war ended in 1999 and now worked in insurance. But Kosovo’s economy and politics were so dire that he was considering moving back to Glasgow to work in nightclubs.

Kosovo’s Minister for dialogue, Edita Tahiri, assessed on Tuesday that the time has come to change the format of the dialogue with Serbia. She stated that the next phase of the dialogue should be the closing of this process. In an interview for the paper, Tahiri defended the dialogue process held in Brussels, saying that it had brought many benefits to Kosovo. According to her, this process has contributed significantly in fulfilling the strategic objectives of the government, on strengthening the state internally and externally.

Head of the Serbian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Aleksandra Djurović, said that the Serbian party managed to prevent Kosovo delegation to gain the authorization for participation at the sessions of this Assembly.

According to her, Pristina delegation was prevented to propose and sign resolutions at this body of the Council of Europe.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Thursday that the support of China and Russia as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council “guarantees that the issue of Kosovo will not be solved to Serbia’s detriment”. Dacic made these remarks during his visit to Beijing.

On behalf of the EU Council, the Slovak EU Presidency has urged the Kosovo authorities to implement the agreement on the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Pristina was also urged and cooperate with a court set up to try war crimes by the former KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army").

Resolution 1244 must be respected to the maximum, said yesterday the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov, adding that Russia accepts all the solutions and processes in relation to Kosovo.

"We show the solidarity with the Serbian friends, and we are against any attempts to unilaterally revise this Resolution," said Lavrov during a visit to Belgrade.