Zaev's Brnatic tries “to cool blood”

The Durres regional meeting took another step towards the economic approach of Balkan countries. In the event hosted by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, leaders agreed on maximum commitments to the implementation of “Berlin Process” projects.

But, the meeting also served as a spark for another positive development: Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabici invited her Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, to visit Belgrade in November.

His stop, news agency “says MIA” will be used for a joint meeting of representatives from both countries' governments. The invitation comes amid tensions that triggered the withdrawal of all Serbian Embassy staff in Skopje. Zaev's statement after the incident, which left the Macedonian executive speechless, was in a very peaceful tone, and after the event for which an official explanation was not given, it was not too late, and efforts to normalise the situation started, initially with a call between him and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The two leaders agreed that disputes would be resolved through dialogue, and that there would be promotion of friendly relations and deepening economic co-operation. On Friday, even the foreign ministers of Serbia and Macedonia, Ivica Dacic and Nikola Dimitrov, met in Nis to discuss intelligence issues that prompted the withdrawal of Serbian diplomatic personnel, pledged to work to improve bilateral relations.

The Belgrade Movement, however, has left many unanswered questions. As Serbia pauses over the reasons for this decision, various analysts in Skopje think that, through unprecedented gesture, it is just trying to mask its agent's involvement in the April 27th riots in the Macedonian Parliament. Two days ago, Macedonia's EP rapporteur Ivo Vajgl raised concern that tensions in the Balkans could prove harmful to the region and its prospect of EU membership.