Kosovo can't stop Serbia's path to EU - PM
Ana Brnabic has stressed that "Kosovo has great potential to prevent Serbia from moving forward - but not to stop its path to the EU."
Thursday, 05.04.2018.
13:54
Kosovo can't stop Serbia's path to EU - PM
"The European Commission, that is, the EU, does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, they are status neutral and must be because five important EU members do not recognize and will not recognize the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo. They expect us to normalize relations, they will not import conflicts into the EU, and normalization of relations can mean all sorts of things: I think that it is primarily in the interest of Serbia, not because of the Union, but in the interest of Serbia to finally find a long-term sustainable solution," she explained.Brnabic recalled that Serbia "made very good steps" since 2014, and in 2017, "we started to build healthy growth and development, but we cannot have it if we do not have stability."
According to her, "if we do not have stability, investors will not come, loans will be more expensive, people will not stay here to export brains, which is already done by the fantastic IT industry."
"Serbia has to find the strength to create peace and stability in Kosovo, it is extremely difficult, I am extremely worried, because the story here is completely one-sided. Serbia is the only one trying and the only one, it seems to me at this moment, which has an interest in long-term peace and stability," Brnabic said.
She assessed that a frozen conflict could continue for decades - "but that would not be good for Serbia, which is why the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic about the internal dialogue very courageous."
"He has nothing to gain from the dialogue, he just has political responsibility, but he does not want to leave a frozen conflict to some generations after us to solve, which is an extremely correct and leadership trait," Brnabic said.
The prime minister said that she was "disappointed and surprised that at this moment there is no readiness from any other side to create compromise."
"I am sorry that the EU is not stronger in insisting that the Brussels agreement be implemented, because the EU was the guarantor of that agreement and had to insist that the first point, and that is the Community of Serb Municipalities, is implemented. On the other hand, from all the conversations I've had with them, it doesn't seem to me that the United States is ready for any more flexible solution, and if you are not ready for a flexible solution, then it seems to me you are favor of maintaining the status of quo and a frozen conflict," she explained.
Brnabic added that she "believes this does not suit Serbia" and that "in the last three, four, five years" Serbia has shown that it wants to be "an exporter of stability."
"In the last ten days in Kosovo, Serbia has shown a completely different face, the face of a country and a political elite that is stable, collected, not led by emotions, thinking with cool heads and investing both their name and energy in a stable solving of the problem," Brnabic underlined.
She emphasized that it was "clear that our strategic goal is the EU, both politically and economically," and recalled that "more than 65 percent of our total foreign trade is with the countries of the Union, which are by far the biggest investor in Serbia."
"For dynamic development we need to have partners on all sides of the world. Russia is one of our partners, in the end they are our biggest energy partner and because of the energy sustainability of Serbia it is important that we have good relations with Russia, as well as with India, China above all, with the United States, the United Arab Emirates, so I do not I would look at it in a Cold War way," she added.
Although the world is increasingly polarized and as it approaches the phase of a Cold War, characterized by complex relations in the whole the world, the prime minister believes that Serbia is on the right track and politically has a strategy that "certainly gives results."
"If we have the strength and EU's understanding, first of all to implement the agreements reached (with Pristina), and then to have flexibility and creativity around a possible long-term solution, then everything will be fine. I hope that Serbia will not be the only one left to insist on stability," Brnabic said.
As for the announced reshuffle of her cabinet, the prime minister said that "everything depends on the situation in Kosovo" and that the government "must now be compact" because of the situation in the province.
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