Serbian historian: No sign that US has changed stance on Kosovo

According to him, they are not using “arguments” correctly.

Speaking about his statement and the interconnection of the Kosovo issue to the self-determination of Serbs in Republika Srpska, he said that on the principle of self-determination of the people a nation a state has also been destroyed.

“The main element of Albanians in Kosovo is insisting on creating the state on this very basis. It is never good when various principles apply to the same things because it is not only unfair but also presents a source of problems, according to the motto: If one can do it, why not others? So I think this is a principle, which in the Balkans cannot be avoided and until it is accomplished, cannot be moved forward. If things are so, and if Kosovo's status has reached the level when only dilemmas arise if Serbia wants to recognise Kosovo's independence and citizenship, then it seems natural to me that this is balanced with the rights of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina for self-rule. So is the right of Albanians. What we have now is mutual sabotage. Serbia's southern Albanians sabotage Serbia, and Serbia sabotages Kosovo. I don't think that's a good choice. Serbia, with its insistence on maintaining territorial integrity, is blocking the possibility of extending this issue. This does not mean that Serbia tomorrow should open the issue of secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is enough to be used as an argument and to expect the international community to accept this argument and understand what the word for” is, he said.

According to him, hypocrisy is the only fact that it is not required by Serbia to recognise Kosovo's independence, but offer a so-called mandatory legal agreement.

Why do they offer us something like that? It seems to me that they are aware that the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia would choose Serbia's hands to realize its interests. While the deal offer is a typical Western formal solution. Interconnecting events in Srebrenica with claims that this is the reason why Republika Serpska should not have the right to self-rule could also be interpreted otherwise that Serbs are right as everyone else is to self-rule. At this moment we have double standards, because in Kosovo we want one thing, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina something else”, Protic said.

Speaking about assumptions that Washington has changed politics and that the US is more ready for the Serbian side's proposals for resolving the Kosovo issue, he said it seems infantial.

That sounds nice infantile to me. Great powers do not change their policy or change it with much difficulty. There is no sign that the US has changed the policy towards the Balkans, and in that sense neither the attitude towards Kosovo, nor in particular the Serb side. We've had childish behavior at first, as far as Trump's expectations are concerned. When you have a Dacic at the top of diplomacy, who doesn't know a word of English that politics in Washington is more unknown than the area of Mars, something better you can't expect. We don't want to change our policy while we expect America to do this! I don't know what I should call this behavior. It is clear that Russia, as it is, will use Kosovo as its precendence for its own interests”, he said.

Somebody heard there's a lobby in America. Of course, there are many frauds there who promise you things and want to get you a lot of money. For lobby in America you have a lot of money and it's almost impossible to change American politics with money. American politics cannot be bought. Lobby serves something else. What can be done is to present sound political arguments before opinion through influential people, not money but agility. You can pay and get photographed with the President of America, but not even talk to him about political issues. After all, the president does not decide. So with Trump, he doesn't have to talk about this, because he has no idea about this stuff”, Protic said among other things.

Serious policy is done in other countries at universities, in the media, in the U.S. Congress, in diplomatic choir... and here you only need money for fuel and cars. If someone invites you to give a speech at some serious school, it can have a far greater effect than talking to Trump. Here is another example: The serious perception of the Serbian opposition in the US occurred after a presentation at Harvard in the spring of 2000, attended by 1,000 students and no politicians. We have received the invitation from a Greek foundation, and we have made good use of this”, the Serbian historian said. / DW/