EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn said "the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo has improved." He added that there have been events in the past few weeks that would in the past would have lead to "both sides reaching for their weapons." "Today, the presidents reach for the phone and call each other," the EU official has been quoted as saying. According to him, these are some positive moves when observed over a longer period of time. "Of course, in the meantime, on the one side and on the other, there have been steps backwards, but we should not allow this to discourage us.

A former Serbian ambassador to UNESCO said on Thursday that Pristina has less chance of joining that organization than it did two years ago.

Ambassador Darko Tanaskovic told Belgrade based daily Danas that there is no certainty that Kosovo would apply to join the UNESCO this year as some officials in Pristina have said.

“That depends on Pristina’s assessment and the views of its sponsors in the international community,” he said.

Serbian Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Chairperson Milovan Drecun thinks taxes on goods from central Serbia will be abolished, Tanjug news agency reported. Drecun added that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj now tries to act in line with USA wishes, but at the same time “avoid the embarrassment.” Asked if Ramush Haradinaj is that strong to resist requests by European and world officials saying taxes will be lifted once Belgrade recognizes Kosovo, Drecun replied “of course he is not” adding that Haradinaj knows where the limit is, but tries to gain as much as he can now, in t

Former USA Ambassador to Serbia, William Montgomery said that things in and around Kosovo at this moment are ongoing in a dangerous direction, Tanjug news agency reports. “I hope I am wrong, but I am utterly pessimistic regarding the situation about Kosovo,” Montgomery said. “The current stance of Kosovo leadership is that the declaration of independence has changed everything, and that new Kosovo can do everything that other independent states are doing,” Montgomery went on explaining. “It means ignoring UN SC Resolution 1244, introducing 100 percent tax on goods from Serbia, disrespecting

The latest developments in Serbia raise the question of whether Belgrade is still on the European path, Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar has said. Speaking before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Slovenian Parliament, Cerar added that Serbia should declare its stance on European orientation, STA is reporting.

Institute for European Studies Professor, Slobodan Zecevic told RTS Germany is interested that Serbia joins the EU, but also to resolve the Kosovo issue, since Serbia cannot enter the EU with unresolved relations with Albanians. He also assessed that Pristina by refusing to lift taxes, despite requests from USA and EU, became some sort of “fugitive” in relation to the international law and international relations. Speaking for the RTS morning news edition, Professor Zecevic termed as “interesting” what Ramush Haradinaj said yesterday, indicating that Pristina in fact listens to no one, it is

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos said the statement of Ramush Haradinaj that Pristina will not lift taxes on goods from Serbia is bad news and bad signal not only for Serbia but for the entire region as well. He repeated the plea for taxes to be revoked, adding there is nothing to talk about as long as taxes remain in force.

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told Belgrade-based daily Blic that "Sherlock Holmes himself would not be able to determine exactly how many countries recognize Kosovo." "With a number of countries, no decisions have been passed," Dacic said, and recounted his conversation with a minister from Oman, with whom he "almost quarreled" because Dacic claimed that Oman had recognized Kosovo - while the minister said this never happened. Meanwhile, Pristina's list of countries that have recognized Kosovo includes Nigeria and Uganda - which is not true, Dacic said.

Romania expressed doubts the EU would soon lift visas for the Kosovo residents, given disputable decisions that Pristina authorities undertook lately, BETA news agency reports. It includes the introduction of punitive measures on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as intention to establish Kosovo armed forces. Presenting the programme of his country, that would take over the EU presidency for the next six months, Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu noted that many EU member-states are concerned over Pristina’s acts.

“I am convinced that with the final agreement Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja will belong to Kosovo, and I guarantee that Gazivode, Mitrovica North and Trepca will remain within Kosovo,” President Hashim Thaci said after the meeting with Pristina negotiating team, to which he delivered a report on the dialogue with Belgrade, RTK reported. As Thaci explained to the reporters after the meeting with co-chairmen of the team, the document contains topics, agreements, as well as Pristina’s views on the dialogue.