The EU does not support the exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia: Pandora's Box Opens

Austria's foreign minister sees himself completely in this tradition. The stands and criticisms of the political aspects of her dancing with Vladimir Putin two weeks ago at her wedding party went unnoticed. After dinner with EU colleagues Thursday in Vienna, it reported extremely smug, that it had made the samba and bossanova dance, and the foreign ministers of Britain, Greece, Poland and Romania. German Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas was then saved.

“Diplomacy is more than killing ears with reports”, would justify Kneissl for her style with so many policy movements.

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What's Pandora's box?

Scepticism for Serbian-Kosovo plans

But in addition to Austrian extenuating exercises, the long list of crises in foreign policy had to be passed: The balanceing act in reports with Iran, the issue of funding the Palestinian Authority and the fear of a final battle in Syria's Idlib has now been added to another headache: the newest proposal of presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci for exchange of territories between Serbia and Kosovo. Their proposal: to exchange part of northern Kosovo, which is inhabited mainly by Serbs with the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia, where they live mainly in secession. There are explosive potentials here, because there will not only be exchange of territories, but because this exchange will be made along the ethnic border.

Therefore, the three former special taskmen for the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, Swedish Carl Bildt, Briton, Paddy Ashdown, and the German Christian Schwarz-Schiling have sent a letter to the EU's Federica Mogher, chief diplomat, where they criticise this proposal and explain that a lasting peace can only be realized „into a multiethnic body<1.

Even the German government has voiced doubts about this proposal: Angela Merkel stressed at the beginning of the week that the current youth integrity is an important dimension. Even Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in Vienna that the exchange of territories „does not solve jobs, rather opens many old wounds in the population. ”
While his luxury counterpart, Jean C.S., prefers to be blunt, warns that the region will not be torn apart”. This could bring negative consequences to others, for example, to encourage Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Serbia or Russian President Vladimir Putin to view the case as an opportunity to justify the annexation of crime.

Mogher Backs Down

EU diplomat Federica Moghrini was initially suspected of agreeing to an exchange of territories between Serbia and Kosovo. But in Vienna she withdrew. First of all, we want to protect and promote the dialogue launched between the two capitals, she said. She added that she did not want to prevent difficult talks, defining the results earlier, and confirmed her meeting with the two leaders -- Vucic and Thaci -- next Friday, September 7th, in Brussels. Mogherin tries to support „any results of” of these talks, provided it is in line with international and European law. And that means, according to her, rejection of any results aimed at ethnically clean states ʹ a complicated refusal of diplomacy to plans for the „ethnic heritage” in the territories of the two states.

What is the purpose of its negotiations then? We want an agreement, Moghrin says, that would solve all the open „problems and that includes clearly here the recognition of Kosovo. The timetable is ambitious because it hopes to achieve a success within the coming months, however, by the end of this year.

EU signal to Belgrade, Pristina

The signal EU ministers send from Vienna to the two leaders, Vucic and Thaci, is clear: These two do well to expend their energies on solving the remaining problems, reconciliation and compensation. The idea of two Presidents for exchange of territories finds no support. There are many unresolved issues, such as improving the protection of ethnic minorities or resolving open issues on property, the ministers say.

Even Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn now says Western Balkan countries must deal with other issues once again. Serbia is already an EU candidate, although its advances are not called as long as Belgrade has failed to recognise the former Yugoslav province's independence.

If this conflict is achieved to ease in the coming months, then indeed it would be a major diplomatic success of the EU. But whether this political node can be solved without creating new conflicts, it remains open. / DW