American official: Red lines Sʹka, Kosovo, Serbia can talk about borders

The Express newspaper on Monday has talked to an American government official who has clarified other current issues like that of whether Americans threatened to evacuate soldiers from Camp Bondsteel because the Government is refusing to remove the tax, invest the Trump administration in the talks, about what are America's red lines in negotiations, within what deadlines the agreement should be reached, for Serbia to recognise Kosovo's independence, and the possibility of all this situation leading to the elections.

Americans are developing a intense diplomatic activity in an effort to persuade Kosovo to pave the way for talks with the Serbian side to resume. On Monday, from Skopje an American diplomat, Philip Reeker, who will soon assume the post of state assistant head for Europe and Eurasia, has called for Kosovo to immediately lift the fee and sit down to negotiate unconditionally. Two officials from the White House who met with Kosovo authorities last week had made that stand clear.

A high-level visitor, Undersecretary for Political Affairs in the State Department David Hale, is expected to arrive from America soon to reinforce those messages.

On Monday, the newspaper Express has talked to an American government official who commented on Prime Minister Haradinaj's refusal to have the fee temporarily lifted so that talks can begin. He has also asked Serbia for constructive steps to this process.

Asked whether there is any firm deadlines on when this decision should be made by the Government of Kosovo, the US official has said there is no such one.

“The deadline, the earlier the tariff is suspended and the better the” dialogue begins, he said.

Following the visit of two senior American officials from the National Security Council, John Earth and Brad Berkeley, to Pristina, the media reported widely that “Trump's “people have threatened Kosovo if America is not taxed, it could attract soldiers from Kosovo.

“They did not threaten that we will leave”, says the US official, until it decides that US policies will not change.

Whatever the case, he claims that the evacuation of troops from Syria has been mentioned at meetings of White House officials in the context of changing dynamics in world politics.

Asked whether the current political blockade in Kosovo about the tariff and dialogue with Serbia could lead the country to elections, the American official says it is up to politicians and citizens to decide.

I don't mean anything about elections, it's for politicians and citizens to decide” he says.

The US official says the US are determined to further the dialogue with Serbia, even citing a deadline for the agreement with Serbia. He says this deadline is December 31st of this year.

Gazeta's conversationor says the United States does not have any red lines for what the parties will talk about. He even feels that there will be no restrictions on the issue of territory.

Our location is that there are no red lines. We do not say that the issue of exchange of territories should not be discussed. Some European governments say that”, he says.

With this statement the US government official also hints at the differences U.S. and some states part of the QUINT's dialogue. But, he says everyone agrees that dialogue should continue.

While ensuring that the United States is powerfully involved in the process, this official mentions President Trump's letter several times.

According to him, the US at this stage supports, not any international conference, but the negotiations mediated by the European Union. He also rules out the possibility that the signing will take place within the White House, but re-exemplifies that Trump has invited Thaci and Vucinaj there to celebrate the victory.

Meanwhile, over charges on the political scene that the negotiating agenda is pushing President Hashim Thaci, the US official has not spoken much about it. His comment on this alone was: “Thaci”

He has insisted that the US has suggested that they ask for Kosovo's recognition of this process, while refusing to talk about what compromises Kosovo should make about it.

The American official has sometimes dismissed Russia's involvement, saying it would not bring any good to the negotiation process.

Referring to Haradinaj's objections, the US official has several times taken care of stressing that “is wrong to think that the continuation of the talks leads in exchange for” territories. He has dismissed the possibility that Thaci and Vucic have already reached any agreement, while commenting on “the 22-point plan” that was circulated days ago in the media, saying he saw many such letters. This official has said the United States takes seriously warnings of destabilising the region that could spur changing borders.

But what if such a scenario could include unrest because of opposition to the border issue to most political parties and the fact that any part of the population could remain out of bounds, the American official says that “we will be here, we are part of KFOR who is here” to ensure stability.