American Hoyt Yee for the Berlin Summit: Serbia to decide whether to sit on European or Russian chairs

Likewise, this summit, while informal, is also seen as the possibility that in its margins, the continued possibility of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will be discussed, initially discussing issues that are hindering its continuation, as is the customs tax imposed by the Government of Kosovo on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Summit economists will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron. This time it is warned that it will not be a regular meeting.

Although no particular meeting has been officially warned between leaders from Pristina and Belgrade, such a thing has not been ruled out as an opportunity.

The meeting of the presidents -- Kosovo and Serbia's -- is not crucial to the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, but is a chance to negotiate, said former US Secretary of State Assistant Brian Hoyt Yee.

The history books in the Balkans are full of moments now or never. I think the meeting in Berlin is not one of them, but it's a chance”, Hoyt Yee said at a discussion at the International Republican Institute in Washington, with the “choice of unresolved in the Western Balkans”.

He has said he hopes that progress will be made in Berlin sincerely and in detail for the future steps of Serbia and Kosovo.

I think the idea of dividing territories on ethnic lines is not good, pragmatic, political, or diplomatic. It's not something to talk about”, Hoyt Yee said.

The American diplomat, too, has said Serbia must decide “whether it wants to sit in the Russian or European chair”.

Meanwhile, officials in the Government of Kosovo have said that from the meeting of Western Balkan leaders, they expect a construction meeting to discuss specific issues in the region.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj's media adviser, at the same time spokeswoman for the Kosovo government, Donjet Gashi, has told Radio Free Europe that the meeting has not been called to negotiate for Kosovo's political dialogue, Serbia, but other issues.

“This is a good case for dialogue, which the prime minister has supported, saying only dialogue can advance all processes in the region”, Gashi has said.

She has added that at this meeting it can be discussed on specific issues, and Serbia's representatives could also question the tax issue, but as she put it, the prime minister's stance on the case is already known.

The prime minister's position on this very topic and other topics involving bilateral reports with Serbia is clearly known. It means tax is the Kosovo Government's decision and it can be lifted at the moment when Serbia recognises Kosovo's independence, and this moment can come only with a mutual and context dialogue between the two countries”, Gashi has indicated.

On the other hand, according to politicalologist Ramush Tahiri, at the April 29th summit this bilateral meeting could be discussed and various issues could be discussed. He has stressed that no changes or conditions are expected at this meeting on the customs tax issue Kosovo has decided on products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Tahiri, many EU states, including France and Germany, are interested in Kosovo removing the customs duty, but he has said, no condition is expected.

Whatever suggestion or pressure, however, [the prime minister] will maintain his position, because he has political stance and links it to his post as the first government. I don't believe the Kosovo side, as long as President Hashim Thaci is present, will have any conditions. No one knows what to suggest as a condition for tax removal, because the tax concerns only the two CEFTA member states, and not the European Union, and I don't believe it is connected either to European integrations or to visa liberalisation”, Tahiri has assessed.

He has said that the main topic at multilateral meetings -- especially in bilateral meetings and mediators -- will be the issue of resolving the problem between Kosovo and Serbia and reaching an agreement between the two countries.

Representatives of Kosovo institutions, President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, have said the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens will be contained at the Berlin summit.

President Thaci has stressed that there will be no plan proposed for the Kosovo- Serbia” and that “has no secret agenda behind this” meeting.

Serbia's president, Vuciq, has earlier declared that an agreement with Kosovo, based on current developments, is far away to be reached.

Meanwhile, Kosovo President Thaci has said that the “agreement on normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia is possible to be reached during 2019, despite obstacles in recent months”.