Germany gets the green light of the USA: As for Serbia...

Germany gets the green light of the USA: As for Serbia...

According to Novosti, the new German government wants to put an end to the issue of Kosovo. Germany's strong diplomatic engagement also aims to push Russia out of the region, confirm Serbia's position as a key country in this area and speed up the path to the EU.

It is also reminded that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz organized separate meetings in Berlin for today with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Prime Minister of the lnterim Institutions in Priština, Albin Kurti. Scholz also sent an invitation to the EU Special Envoy for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, in order to bring Vučić and Kurti to the same table at one point, according to diplomatic circles.

The new German government has already prepared the ground for a more active role in the region, so it has appointed a special envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Saracen, while the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina is also their cadre, Christian Schmidt. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also recently went on a multi-day "tour" in the Balkans, where she sent a key message that Berlin and the EU will not leave the region to Moscow's influence.

All these moves by Berlin are "in line" with the diplomatic offensive of Washington, from where several high-ranking officials came to visit Belgrade in recent days, who also focused on the Ukrainian crisis, i.e. sanctions against Russia, and the problem of Kosovo and Metohija.

Ognjen Karanovic, from the Center for Social Stability, says for "Novosti" that Scholz obviously got the consent of the United States to start accelerating Serbia's European integration, and in the context of the Ukrainian crisis:

"I will remind you of Scholz's recent, surprising statement that Serbia should be admitted to the EU as soon as possible, and today's meetings in Berlin clearly show that something is happening on the ground on this issue. The political West cares that all countries Serbia is on its way to the EU, that is our strategic goal, and I believe that positive signals will be sent in Berlin about that, especially when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija and RS. Serbia is the only country that has not introduced any restrictive measures against Russia, and I do not expect any changes in that regard".

Diplomat Zoran Milivojevic believes that Scholz will try to unblock the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and that Germany will be actively involved in resolving the Kosovo issue. For that, however, it is necessary to put pressure on Kurti, on whom the USA has the greatest influence.

"In this way, Germany makes it known that it considers the Kosovo issue a topic of importance for Europe and stands by the fact that the EU as a mediator is practically competent to resolve this issue. I do not expect much from the meeting unless something changes in the Pristina side", Milivojevic thinks.

If a triple meeting between Vučić-Kurti-Lajčák is organized today in Berlin, it will be the first meeting at the high political level of Belgrade and Priština since July last year. Back then, despite the good will of the Serbian side, due to Kurti's obstructions, there was no progress in the dialogue.