Weber: A change of Western access to Serbia would be welcome, but we see

Close to 60 European and American politicians demanded in July more balanced approach of the West in relations with Kosovo and Serbia.

Bodo Weber, political analyst and senior associate at the Berlin Democratic Policy Council, said he sees the letter as evidence that the West is changing courses towards Serbia or Vuciqi.

This change would be welcome, but unfortunately, we don't see such a turn on the horizon. On the contrary, the letter of some Western parliamentarians attracted the attention of Western media, which rarely rarely writes about the region”, Weber said in a written response to the Voice of America.

In the July letter, US and EU lawmakers criticised Vucic for his close ties and support of Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska's nationalist president in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik has been sanctioned by the United States for “the adoption of Dayton peace accords”, a US-sponsored agreement that ended the war in the Balkans in the 1990s.

Another obstacle to better relations between Belgrade and the West is the pro-Russian position of Serbian spying chief Aleksandar Vulin, who has been sanctioned by the United States for alleged involvement in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and misuse of public office.