Daily Times

The West wants a quick agreement on the former breakaway province of Kosovo quickly to avoid another conflict in Europe, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Saturday, after he met European envoys in Belgrade. Serbia deeply resents the 2008 declaration of independence in Kosovo, its former Albanian-majority province, and has never officially recognised it.

After a meeting with diplomatic advisors to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Serbian head of state said the two envoys suggested a new framework for talks on Kosovo that included “a lot more activity (and) pressure”. “The representatives of the most powerful European countries, who told us they also have the support of the United States and Turkey, consider that given there is already a war in Europe there is no need for new conflicts and it is important to reach a solution as quickly as possible”, Vucic said at a press conference.

Kosovo has been recognised by around 100 countries — including the US and most EU countries — but not by Russia and China. The agreement proposed would mean “the recognition of all that they (the Westerners) consider as reality”, said Vucic. Since the 2008 declaration, the region has been subject to regular flare-ups, including recent violence during the summer after Serb protestors blocked border crossings and fired at police.

In August Serbia and Kosovo agreed on an arrangement for free movement between their countries. Serbia has been a candidate to join the EU since 2012, however most experts doubt the country stands a chance of entering the bloc until Belgrade hammers out a deal to normalise ties with Kosovo.

The Serbian present hinted that the French and German envoys had told him that Serbia had to take a side over the war in Ukraine. “From what I’ve been told, Putin has put up the curtain, and now it’s up to everyone to show which side of the curtain they want to stay on,” Vucic said. He did not elaborate on Serbia’s position. Belgrade has condemned the invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, but has refused to align itself with European sanctions on Moscow.