14 minutes agoAmerican official: Kosovo dialogue deadlock
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)Former Pentagon official in charge of the Balkans Michael Carpenter has estimated that the upcoming elections in Kosovo, as well as elections in Serbia in spring next year, could slow down reaching the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. Carpenter in an interview for Voice of America has said the election season [...]
Carpenter in an interview for the Voice of America has said that the election season is a very bad moment for reaching international agreements.
The timing of elections in both Serbia and Kosovo is appropriate for the most severe political positions to appear, which is bad for reaching the agreement. I wouldn't have said it was impossible, but it seems less reliable”, said the current director of “Pen Biden Center”.
According to his words, it seems that the political situation in Serbia and Kosovo is so that the idea for exchange of territories can succeed, but that the moment has not yet come, neither in Kosovo nor in Serbia.
“If the idea for definition is not successful between Kosovo and Serbia, it does not see what the B<x1 plan is, it has declared Carpenter and has added that something more concrete and faster to offer Serbia than it is EU membership for recognising Kosovo's independence.
I don't believe that continuing the dialogue, just as Frederica Moghrin led, will bring something concrete. I think that Serbia, if it wants to outdo this barrier and recognise Kosovo's independence, should gain something concrete in exchange, something that citizens had valued “, he said and added that something is still not on the table”.
Citing Russia's eventual role, Carpenter has said that from Moscow's perspective it is best to maintain the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia because it allows Russia to be represented as the keeper of Serbia's interests and as the opponent of Kosovo”.
This helps Moscow geopolitically because it prevents Serbia from approaching the West, Brussels and Washington. I don't think it's in the interest of the Kremlin that this issue is solved”, it's appreciated by the American official.
Carpenter again mentions Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic's statement about calling for the Serb diaspora to support Trump in future US solutions.
He can support anyone he wants. I don't think it's the wise political move of Serbia's foreign minister, because there is generally the consensus of both parties in the US” around Serbia and the Western Balkans.
I'm just asking questions about the smart David act, and he can support anyone he wants. I'm not sure if the Serbs in America will hear it, but I can do whatever it takes to give it”, Carpenter said.
