Yaroslav wrote: "Well. With their mentality in 10 years June 28, 2014 will be kinown as the day the EU died."
Based on your name, I have to tell you that....no one will ask you or your country anything.
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
(hans, 2 November 2009 11:10)
Hans
My sources are not Russian newspapers because I cannot read Russian. My information is sourced from people that I personally know in the finance industry and civil service. That is people that work in these areas.
The IMF was running out of money and Japan deposited about $200 Billion as a stop gap measure. They had to ask China to contribute because the Japanese contribution was insufficient.
Why do you think China is now on the IMF/World Bank governing body? The west did not want it anywhere near these institutions, can you imagine a communist government telling the freedom loving west what to do? It had no choice!
Serbia is a small country and it has to borrow to stay alive, just like all the EU member countries. How do you think the UK, France, Belgium are surviving? Even the economic power house, Germany, is losing jobs due to corporate collapse. These are tough times for all.
I very strongly suggest that you save your Euros and travel to China very, very soon. I travelled through parts of China in 2003 then covered the same route early this year. Places that were mere fishing villages, small towns etc are now massive cities with multi-lane highways, modern buildings, metros, bridges railways and other infrastructure that just has to be seen to be believed.
You have no idea or concept of what is happening in China – I could not believe my own eyes at the transformation.
People do not starve in China, I can guarantee you that, but there are people in countries in Eastern Europe, which are members of the EU, that pay their pensioners $100 per month to live on.
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
Yes, you are right that amount is too much for Kosovo alone. That was my error and I stand corrected. This is the total cost of running all of the former states of Yugoslavia – Serbia is not included in this budget.
The true cost of EULEX is not just 270 Million Euros, as published. There are hidden costs that are never revealed such as the support staff that pay or support in other ways EULEX police, civil servants, the judiciary, court officials, supplying food, organising and maintaining accommodation, fuel and so on. These people never set foot in Kosovo and remain in their respective countries.
This cost is borne by each EU member supporting the EULEX program. Although this is a simplistic explanation I think you understand my meaning.
Kosovo has no minerals, little to no water resources, no oil or gas and it’s not an important trade route. The EU expends large sums of money and any first year university economist will tell you that the cost to benefit ration is nil.
Kosovo’s value is Camp Bondsteel which is designed to control the Russian gas pipelines. However, if the ‘emergency centre’ in Nis goes ahead and is a disguise for a large Russian military base then Camp Bondsteel and the other two or three bases in Romania and Bulgaria would not be very effective.
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
It does not cost Serbia as much as you think to maintain parallel institutions and sending Vuk is simply buying him an airline ticket. So you see it’s not that expensive.
Serbia borrows money to maintain its economy. It’s normal practice, but the difference is know when to stop borrowing. Your US has gone well beyond its limit and is now living on pure credit. Keep your eyes on the US budget in 2010. Remember that China now runs the IMF! For your information it would have been bankrupt if China did not put in a few billion dollars.
You’re right; it’s not costing too much money to keep 1500 soldiers, around say $100 million a year. There are not just troops in Camp Bondsteel, there is the CIA etc. Meanwhile in the Middle East they are burning up money so fast that it’s causing a crisis amongst administrators back in Washington.
As far as organ trafficking is concerned, that not surprising that you have not heard about that in the western press. Do you really think that you have free press’ or ‘free speech? If you do believe that then you also think that Santa Clause is real. They feed people like you material that should be spread far and wide and you believe it. In fact the western press today is no better than Pravda used to be.
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
Yes. It will do it with Athens. Why, simple fact. Priminister of Greece is an american born citizen and his parents were born in USA too. This guy went to same orthodox church as me in Minneapolis. And by the way, am Albanian orthodox ! Suprised that many serbs in here do not know that we have 20 % orthodox and 10 % chatholics in Albania. Cheers
Statu quo doesn't cost Serbia anything ???
You must be kidding...
Serbia, a bankrupt country, begging help from IMF, has been wasting hundred thousands millions of $ in sending Vuk abroad (for tiny results), in maintaining useless parallel institutions in Kosovo, and even in trying to bribe some peasants to have them make false testimonies in your fantasmagoric organ trafficking novel (which nobody hears about now)...etc
I'm sure Serba wasted more money in trying to recover forever lost Kosovo than it has cost the US maintaining 1,500 troops there...
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You have no idea just how treacherous the west can be and if you are no further use to them they will discard you like dirty laundry. These are the same people that sold saran gas to Saddam Hussein to murder the Kurds then invaded Iraq and put him on trial for their deaths.
Unfortunately, you don’t understand that it’s costing both the EU and US money to maintain Kosovo, the former more than the latter. The US has Camp Bondsteel to maintain as well as intelligence service groups and so it all costs. The EU has the rest to the tune of between 400/500 billion euros per year and this includes the cost of running Kosovo as well as maintaining the Kosovo parliamentary system, Kpolice and so on and so on.
I have had little to no respect for US presidents for many decades, but I have a soft spot for Obama because I see the task before him and it’s gigantic. In the very early days I saw in this man’s eyes the difficulty facing his nation.
The American people did not elect a president but a messiah. He is everything to everyone, a hope of things to come for African/Americans; an economic magician who will return the US to its former financial glory; a man that will bring peace and democracy to the world; a man that can achieve an honourable victory in Iraq and Afghanistan; a man that will return their sons and daughters home save and sound from these wars.
The bills that Obama is signing is BORROWED money. There is no alternative now it’s a do or die effort; there is no turning back because the economy is shot to pieces and the only way is to try and spend out of the “D” word. Also, the US cannot leave Iraq and Afghanistan with their tails between its legs – there is no coming back from that for the West.
I remember a retired Chinese general giving an interview to an Australian journalist being asked will China begin to spend on undermining the US (not in these words but close to them). He responded saying, “why should China waste its money when the US is doing an excellent job doing the work for us”. I think the same applies to Russia. The vast majority of the $680 billion is for the war effort. The only people in the US working overtime are either in the mint printing more money or soup kitchens.
Yes, you’re right the US has had troops abroad since WW11, but today is different because it is very expensive to have combat troops on active service for any great lengths of time. There are many additional payments that did not exist previously plus the equipment used and replacement. Even Kosovo is not considered ‘friendly’ in the true sense of the word otherwise they would allow their troops to move freely about the towns.
The average Serb does not want nor care to join the EU. Its the EU-funded politicians that are constantly talking about this magic pudding called the EU. The difficulty is trying to change the ordinary citizen’s perception of the UE. Watch little man and learn, Serbia will not stay quite and the EU will crawl on all their fours to ask them to sign the Agreement; and the Visa Travel, well there is no turning back on that.
Things are starting to get interesting now that the Russians want an emergency centre in Nis.
"...But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
(Hans, 31 October 2009 17:43)..."
>> Yep, the free trade agreement is still frozen.Just about all of us do know that, but it is to be unfrozen very soon rather then later.
Apart of that I can freely notize that you kinda enjoy in this "endless game of conditioning Serbia with this and this"?
Not nize of you, Hanz-y.Started to enjoy thiz very bad habitz?
And idea of the "give and take game" is not exactly the good play, my dear arrogant Western Hanz-y.
You know, this Russian planes just coming shortly to Serbia, for acting in emergency situations are having the great capacity...and be sure that they will not be carrying water all way from Russia...we are having great hydro potential in Serbia to fill in their tanks when they are in their base in Nis, Southern Serbia.
So, leaving it up to you to guess what may will be carried in it...we just need one , two or three of...
Hehe Hanz-y...still giving and taking game "if we don't stay quite" ?
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You will never see Kosovo in UN or EU or UEFA or FIFA!
(Ron, 31 October 2009 17:56)
-----------------------------
Exactly. Either the US stops throwing funds down this black hole or it gets realistic and forces negotiations - and that's what it seems to want. The status quo benefits Serbia not the US.
Even with the large US defence (attack) budget it still doesn't have funds to throw in the rubbish - and this Kosovo independence project is just a big rubbish dump.
I wonder how much it may cost the US to remain in Kosovo...Kosovo isn't Bagdad or Kaboul, they have only 1,500 troops there and never lost lives...I'm sure they can afford it.
Just remember that 2 days ago Obama signed the US military budget for 2010: 680 billions $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( in comparison; Russian military budget: 30 billions approx.)
Since WWII, the US have a few hundreds of thousands troops abroad...I don't think Kosovo represents a difficulty.
But nobody is forcing Serbia into EU....please remain out if you desire...it's ok...
But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
Fine by me. I'm all in favor of my country pulling out of direct Balkan entanglement, since the left hand of our foreign policy rarely knows what the right is doing. We've been trying to place Southeastern Europe in the EU's hands for years now, and I think it's a great idea to give the initiative to EU countries that are not Germany, France, or Holland. Greece can be far more partial towards Serbia and we may very well see a respectable compromise solution to the Kosovo issue.
Please don't spoil our Holly June, 28Th with another disaster: joining EU.
Anything what can be and will be arranged for us by US certainly will and does not work in our favor.
Do you need more then this: yesterday on the Press Conference in Brussels German Chancellor Merkel have said = stated (though true the half-joking) on the subject of the choice for new Lisbon's EU President, that present Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende may be a good option because he speaks GERMAN?!
Clear enough?
You wonna join that "club"?
Surely, nope!
Think Referendum must be called in Serbia on the question of joining EU.
Visa free travel and free trade agreement is just all what we need from them.
I'm not surprised at all with this US initiative. It has troops tied up in a frozen conflict that doesn't look to be resolved for a very long time. Kosovo's independence is irreversibly blocked and maintaining that position costs nothing to Serbia, Russia and others. However, maintaining the occupation is costing billions - something the US cannot affort.
It's interested to note that Greece is leading the initiative - a country that will not recognise Kosovo. Kosovo status negotiates will have to be concluded sooner or later otherwise the US can only dream about integrating all of the Western Balkans into Euro-Atlantic structure.
I personally don't think it's going to happen but if Kosovo recognition is revoked there may be a chance.
I'm not surprised at all with this US initiative. It has troops tied up in a frozen conflict that doesn't look to be resolved for a very long time. Kosovo's independence is irreversibly blocked and maintaining that position costs nothing to Serbia, Russia and others. However, maintaining the occupation is costing billions - something the US cannot affort.
It's interested to note that Greece is leading the initiative - a country that will not recognise Kosovo. Kosovo status negotiates will have to be concluded sooner or later otherwise the US can only dream about integrating all of the Western Balkans into Euro-Atlantic structure.
I personally don't think it's going to happen but if Kosovo recognition is revoked there may be a chance.
Please don't spoil our Holly June, 28Th with another disaster: joining EU.
Anything what can be and will be arranged for us by US certainly will and does not work in our favor.
Do you need more then this: yesterday on the Press Conference in Brussels German Chancellor Merkel have said = stated (though true the half-joking) on the subject of the choice for new Lisbon's EU President, that present Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende may be a good option because he speaks GERMAN?!
Clear enough?
You wonna join that "club"?
Surely, nope!
Think Referendum must be called in Serbia on the question of joining EU.
Visa free travel and free trade agreement is just all what we need from them.
Fine by me. I'm all in favor of my country pulling out of direct Balkan entanglement, since the left hand of our foreign policy rarely knows what the right is doing. We've been trying to place Southeastern Europe in the EU's hands for years now, and I think it's a great idea to give the initiative to EU countries that are not Germany, France, or Holland. Greece can be far more partial towards Serbia and we may very well see a respectable compromise solution to the Kosovo issue.
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You will never see Kosovo in UN or EU or UEFA or FIFA!
(Ron, 31 October 2009 17:56)
-----------------------------
Exactly. Either the US stops throwing funds down this black hole or it gets realistic and forces negotiations - and that's what it seems to want. The status quo benefits Serbia not the US.
Even with the large US defence (attack) budget it still doesn't have funds to throw in the rubbish - and this Kosovo independence project is just a big rubbish dump.
I wonder how much it may cost the US to remain in Kosovo...Kosovo isn't Bagdad or Kaboul, they have only 1,500 troops there and never lost lives...I'm sure they can afford it.
Just remember that 2 days ago Obama signed the US military budget for 2010: 680 billions $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( in comparison; Russian military budget: 30 billions approx.)
Since WWII, the US have a few hundreds of thousands troops abroad...I don't think Kosovo represents a difficulty.
But nobody is forcing Serbia into EU....please remain out if you desire...it's ok...
But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
Unfortunately, you don’t understand that it’s costing both the EU and US money to maintain Kosovo, the former more than the latter. The US has Camp Bondsteel to maintain as well as intelligence service groups and so it all costs. The EU has the rest to the tune of between 400/500 billion euros per year and this includes the cost of running Kosovo as well as maintaining the Kosovo parliamentary system, Kpolice and so on and so on.
I have had little to no respect for US presidents for many decades, but I have a soft spot for Obama because I see the task before him and it’s gigantic. In the very early days I saw in this man’s eyes the difficulty facing his nation.
The American people did not elect a president but a messiah. He is everything to everyone, a hope of things to come for African/Americans; an economic magician who will return the US to its former financial glory; a man that will bring peace and democracy to the world; a man that can achieve an honourable victory in Iraq and Afghanistan; a man that will return their sons and daughters home save and sound from these wars.
The bills that Obama is signing is BORROWED money. There is no alternative now it’s a do or die effort; there is no turning back because the economy is shot to pieces and the only way is to try and spend out of the “D” word. Also, the US cannot leave Iraq and Afghanistan with their tails between its legs – there is no coming back from that for the West.
I remember a retired Chinese general giving an interview to an Australian journalist being asked will China begin to spend on undermining the US (not in these words but close to them). He responded saying, “why should China waste its money when the US is doing an excellent job doing the work for us”. I think the same applies to Russia. The vast majority of the $680 billion is for the war effort. The only people in the US working overtime are either in the mint printing more money or soup kitchens.
Yes, you’re right the US has had troops abroad since WW11, but today is different because it is very expensive to have combat troops on active service for any great lengths of time. There are many additional payments that did not exist previously plus the equipment used and replacement. Even Kosovo is not considered ‘friendly’ in the true sense of the word otherwise they would allow their troops to move freely about the towns.
The average Serb does not want nor care to join the EU. Its the EU-funded politicians that are constantly talking about this magic pudding called the EU. The difficulty is trying to change the ordinary citizen’s perception of the UE. Watch little man and learn, Serbia will not stay quite and the EU will crawl on all their fours to ask them to sign the Agreement; and the Visa Travel, well there is no turning back on that.
Things are starting to get interesting now that the Russians want an emergency centre in Nis.
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You have no idea just how treacherous the west can be and if you are no further use to them they will discard you like dirty laundry. These are the same people that sold saran gas to Saddam Hussein to murder the Kurds then invaded Iraq and put him on trial for their deaths.
Statu quo doesn't cost Serbia anything ???
You must be kidding...
Serbia, a bankrupt country, begging help from IMF, has been wasting hundred thousands millions of $ in sending Vuk abroad (for tiny results), in maintaining useless parallel institutions in Kosovo, and even in trying to bribe some peasants to have them make false testimonies in your fantasmagoric organ trafficking novel (which nobody hears about now)...etc
I'm sure Serba wasted more money in trying to recover forever lost Kosovo than it has cost the US maintaining 1,500 troops there...
"...But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
(Hans, 31 October 2009 17:43)..."
>> Yep, the free trade agreement is still frozen.Just about all of us do know that, but it is to be unfrozen very soon rather then later.
Apart of that I can freely notize that you kinda enjoy in this "endless game of conditioning Serbia with this and this"?
Not nize of you, Hanz-y.Started to enjoy thiz very bad habitz?
And idea of the "give and take game" is not exactly the good play, my dear arrogant Western Hanz-y.
You know, this Russian planes just coming shortly to Serbia, for acting in emergency situations are having the great capacity...and be sure that they will not be carrying water all way from Russia...we are having great hydro potential in Serbia to fill in their tanks when they are in their base in Nis, Southern Serbia.
So, leaving it up to you to guess what may will be carried in it...we just need one , two or three of...
Hehe Hanz-y...still giving and taking game "if we don't stay quite" ?
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
(hans, 2 November 2009 11:10)
Hans
My sources are not Russian newspapers because I cannot read Russian. My information is sourced from people that I personally know in the finance industry and civil service. That is people that work in these areas.
The IMF was running out of money and Japan deposited about $200 Billion as a stop gap measure. They had to ask China to contribute because the Japanese contribution was insufficient.
Why do you think China is now on the IMF/World Bank governing body? The west did not want it anywhere near these institutions, can you imagine a communist government telling the freedom loving west what to do? It had no choice!
Serbia is a small country and it has to borrow to stay alive, just like all the EU member countries. How do you think the UK, France, Belgium are surviving? Even the economic power house, Germany, is losing jobs due to corporate collapse. These are tough times for all.
I very strongly suggest that you save your Euros and travel to China very, very soon. I travelled through parts of China in 2003 then covered the same route early this year. Places that were mere fishing villages, small towns etc are now massive cities with multi-lane highways, modern buildings, metros, bridges railways and other infrastructure that just has to be seen to be believed.
You have no idea or concept of what is happening in China – I could not believe my own eyes at the transformation.
People do not starve in China, I can guarantee you that, but there are people in countries in Eastern Europe, which are members of the EU, that pay their pensioners $100 per month to live on.
Yes. It will do it with Athens. Why, simple fact. Priminister of Greece is an american born citizen and his parents were born in USA too. This guy went to same orthodox church as me in Minneapolis. And by the way, am Albanian orthodox ! Suprised that many serbs in here do not know that we have 20 % orthodox and 10 % chatholics in Albania. Cheers
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
It does not cost Serbia as much as you think to maintain parallel institutions and sending Vuk is simply buying him an airline ticket. So you see it’s not that expensive.
Serbia borrows money to maintain its economy. It’s normal practice, but the difference is know when to stop borrowing. Your US has gone well beyond its limit and is now living on pure credit. Keep your eyes on the US budget in 2010. Remember that China now runs the IMF! For your information it would have been bankrupt if China did not put in a few billion dollars.
You’re right; it’s not costing too much money to keep 1500 soldiers, around say $100 million a year. There are not just troops in Camp Bondsteel, there is the CIA etc. Meanwhile in the Middle East they are burning up money so fast that it’s causing a crisis amongst administrators back in Washington.
As far as organ trafficking is concerned, that not surprising that you have not heard about that in the western press. Do you really think that you have free press’ or ‘free speech? If you do believe that then you also think that Santa Clause is real. They feed people like you material that should be spread far and wide and you believe it. In fact the western press today is no better than Pravda used to be.
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
Yes, you are right that amount is too much for Kosovo alone. That was my error and I stand corrected. This is the total cost of running all of the former states of Yugoslavia – Serbia is not included in this budget.
The true cost of EULEX is not just 270 Million Euros, as published. There are hidden costs that are never revealed such as the support staff that pay or support in other ways EULEX police, civil servants, the judiciary, court officials, supplying food, organising and maintaining accommodation, fuel and so on. These people never set foot in Kosovo and remain in their respective countries.
This cost is borne by each EU member supporting the EULEX program. Although this is a simplistic explanation I think you understand my meaning.
Kosovo has no minerals, little to no water resources, no oil or gas and it’s not an important trade route. The EU expends large sums of money and any first year university economist will tell you that the cost to benefit ration is nil.
Kosovo’s value is Camp Bondsteel which is designed to control the Russian gas pipelines. However, if the ‘emergency centre’ in Nis goes ahead and is a disguise for a large Russian military base then Camp Bondsteel and the other two or three bases in Romania and Bulgaria would not be very effective.
Yaroslav wrote: "Well. With their mentality in 10 years June 28, 2014 will be kinown as the day the EU died."
Based on your name, I have to tell you that....no one will ask you or your country anything.
I wonder how much it may cost the US to remain in Kosovo...Kosovo isn't Bagdad or Kaboul, they have only 1,500 troops there and never lost lives...I'm sure they can afford it.
Just remember that 2 days ago Obama signed the US military budget for 2010: 680 billions $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( in comparison; Russian military budget: 30 billions approx.)
Since WWII, the US have a few hundreds of thousands troops abroad...I don't think Kosovo represents a difficulty.
But nobody is forcing Serbia into EU....please remain out if you desire...it's ok...
But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
I'm not surprised at all with this US initiative. It has troops tied up in a frozen conflict that doesn't look to be resolved for a very long time. Kosovo's independence is irreversibly blocked and maintaining that position costs nothing to Serbia, Russia and others. However, maintaining the occupation is costing billions - something the US cannot affort.
It's interested to note that Greece is leading the initiative - a country that will not recognise Kosovo. Kosovo status negotiates will have to be concluded sooner or later otherwise the US can only dream about integrating all of the Western Balkans into Euro-Atlantic structure.
I personally don't think it's going to happen but if Kosovo recognition is revoked there may be a chance.
Please don't spoil our Holly June, 28Th with another disaster: joining EU.
Anything what can be and will be arranged for us by US certainly will and does not work in our favor.
Do you need more then this: yesterday on the Press Conference in Brussels German Chancellor Merkel have said = stated (though true the half-joking) on the subject of the choice for new Lisbon's EU President, that present Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende may be a good option because he speaks GERMAN?!
Clear enough?
You wonna join that "club"?
Surely, nope!
Think Referendum must be called in Serbia on the question of joining EU.
Visa free travel and free trade agreement is just all what we need from them.
Statu quo doesn't cost Serbia anything ???
You must be kidding...
Serbia, a bankrupt country, begging help from IMF, has been wasting hundred thousands millions of $ in sending Vuk abroad (for tiny results), in maintaining useless parallel institutions in Kosovo, and even in trying to bribe some peasants to have them make false testimonies in your fantasmagoric organ trafficking novel (which nobody hears about now)...etc
I'm sure Serba wasted more money in trying to recover forever lost Kosovo than it has cost the US maintaining 1,500 troops there...
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You will never see Kosovo in UN or EU or UEFA or FIFA!
(Ron, 31 October 2009 17:56)
-----------------------------
Exactly. Either the US stops throwing funds down this black hole or it gets realistic and forces negotiations - and that's what it seems to want. The status quo benefits Serbia not the US.
Even with the large US defence (attack) budget it still doesn't have funds to throw in the rubbish - and this Kosovo independence project is just a big rubbish dump.
Unfortunately, you don’t understand that it’s costing both the EU and US money to maintain Kosovo, the former more than the latter. The US has Camp Bondsteel to maintain as well as intelligence service groups and so it all costs. The EU has the rest to the tune of between 400/500 billion euros per year and this includes the cost of running Kosovo as well as maintaining the Kosovo parliamentary system, Kpolice and so on and so on.
I have had little to no respect for US presidents for many decades, but I have a soft spot for Obama because I see the task before him and it’s gigantic. In the very early days I saw in this man’s eyes the difficulty facing his nation.
The American people did not elect a president but a messiah. He is everything to everyone, a hope of things to come for African/Americans; an economic magician who will return the US to its former financial glory; a man that will bring peace and democracy to the world; a man that can achieve an honourable victory in Iraq and Afghanistan; a man that will return their sons and daughters home save and sound from these wars.
The bills that Obama is signing is BORROWED money. There is no alternative now it’s a do or die effort; there is no turning back because the economy is shot to pieces and the only way is to try and spend out of the “D” word. Also, the US cannot leave Iraq and Afghanistan with their tails between its legs – there is no coming back from that for the West.
I remember a retired Chinese general giving an interview to an Australian journalist being asked will China begin to spend on undermining the US (not in these words but close to them). He responded saying, “why should China waste its money when the US is doing an excellent job doing the work for us”. I think the same applies to Russia. The vast majority of the $680 billion is for the war effort. The only people in the US working overtime are either in the mint printing more money or soup kitchens.
Yes, you’re right the US has had troops abroad since WW11, but today is different because it is very expensive to have combat troops on active service for any great lengths of time. There are many additional payments that did not exist previously plus the equipment used and replacement. Even Kosovo is not considered ‘friendly’ in the true sense of the word otherwise they would allow their troops to move freely about the towns.
The average Serb does not want nor care to join the EU. Its the EU-funded politicians that are constantly talking about this magic pudding called the EU. The difficulty is trying to change the ordinary citizen’s perception of the UE. Watch little man and learn, Serbia will not stay quite and the EU will crawl on all their fours to ask them to sign the Agreement; and the Visa Travel, well there is no turning back on that.
Things are starting to get interesting now that the Russians want an emergency centre in Nis.
Yes. It will do it with Athens. Why, simple fact. Priminister of Greece is an american born citizen and his parents were born in USA too. This guy went to same orthodox church as me in Minneapolis. And by the way, am Albanian orthodox ! Suprised that many serbs in here do not know that we have 20 % orthodox and 10 % chatholics in Albania. Cheers
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
Fine by me. I'm all in favor of my country pulling out of direct Balkan entanglement, since the left hand of our foreign policy rarely knows what the right is doing. We've been trying to place Southeastern Europe in the EU's hands for years now, and I think it's a great idea to give the initiative to EU countries that are not Germany, France, or Holland. Greece can be far more partial towards Serbia and we may very well see a respectable compromise solution to the Kosovo issue.
"...But don't forget that you don't have Trade Agreement...it's FROZEN ..and as I said before even if it was one day to be granted to you....if you don't stay quite...it will take 3 seconds to write it off...the same for Visa travel...
(Hans, 31 October 2009 17:43)..."
>> Yep, the free trade agreement is still frozen.Just about all of us do know that, but it is to be unfrozen very soon rather then later.
Apart of that I can freely notize that you kinda enjoy in this "endless game of conditioning Serbia with this and this"?
Not nize of you, Hanz-y.Started to enjoy thiz very bad habitz?
And idea of the "give and take game" is not exactly the good play, my dear arrogant Western Hanz-y.
You know, this Russian planes just coming shortly to Serbia, for acting in emergency situations are having the great capacity...and be sure that they will not be carrying water all way from Russia...we are having great hydro potential in Serbia to fill in their tanks when they are in their base in Nis, Southern Serbia.
So, leaving it up to you to guess what may will be carried in it...we just need one , two or three of...
Hehe Hanz-y...still giving and taking game "if we don't stay quite" ?
"revoked",
You will never see that movie
(Kosova-USA, 31 October 2009 15:34)
You have no idea just how treacherous the west can be and if you are no further use to them they will discard you like dirty laundry. These are the same people that sold saran gas to Saddam Hussein to murder the Kurds then invaded Iraq and put him on trial for their deaths.
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
It does not cost Serbia as much as you think to maintain parallel institutions and sending Vuk is simply buying him an airline ticket. So you see it’s not that expensive.
Serbia borrows money to maintain its economy. It’s normal practice, but the difference is know when to stop borrowing. Your US has gone well beyond its limit and is now living on pure credit. Keep your eyes on the US budget in 2010. Remember that China now runs the IMF! For your information it would have been bankrupt if China did not put in a few billion dollars.
You’re right; it’s not costing too much money to keep 1500 soldiers, around say $100 million a year. There are not just troops in Camp Bondsteel, there is the CIA etc. Meanwhile in the Middle East they are burning up money so fast that it’s causing a crisis amongst administrators back in Washington.
As far as organ trafficking is concerned, that not surprising that you have not heard about that in the western press. Do you really think that you have free press’ or ‘free speech? If you do believe that then you also think that Santa Clause is real. They feed people like you material that should be spread far and wide and you believe it. In fact the western press today is no better than Pravda used to be.
sj, I am very curious as to where you derived your numbers. Should the figures be anywhere close to your 400/500 billion euros a year, do you even think it is feasible with that investiment the EU is going to turn around and say here Serbia you can have it all back?
And with your numbers so questionable, how can we take the rest of your comment seriously?
By the way the EULEX budget for the first 16 months was 270 million euros-the OSCE budget for 2009 was 26.9 million.
Yes, you are right that amount is too much for Kosovo alone. That was my error and I stand corrected. This is the total cost of running all of the former states of Yugoslavia – Serbia is not included in this budget.
The true cost of EULEX is not just 270 Million Euros, as published. There are hidden costs that are never revealed such as the support staff that pay or support in other ways EULEX police, civil servants, the judiciary, court officials, supplying food, organising and maintaining accommodation, fuel and so on. These people never set foot in Kosovo and remain in their respective countries.
This cost is borne by each EU member supporting the EULEX program. Although this is a simplistic explanation I think you understand my meaning.
Kosovo has no minerals, little to no water resources, no oil or gas and it’s not an important trade route. The EU expends large sums of money and any first year university economist will tell you that the cost to benefit ration is nil.
Kosovo’s value is Camp Bondsteel which is designed to control the Russian gas pipelines. However, if the ‘emergency centre’ in Nis goes ahead and is a disguise for a large Russian military base then Camp Bondsteel and the other two or three bases in Romania and Bulgaria would not be very effective.
May you reveal us your precious "free" sources of information ?? we'll be all gratefull.
Let me guess...the famous "free" russian newspapers or the SRS internal daily ??
And once again IMF wouldn't have gone bankrupted...it just needed more funds to help more countries...like Serbia.
And as to China...let them first reach the level of infrastructure and standard livings of the West...and then we'll see....once they achieve that, we'll see how many Yuans remain in China's central bank box...
What's the point having a rich State when people starve and earn 100$ a month ??
(hans, 2 November 2009 11:10)
Hans
My sources are not Russian newspapers because I cannot read Russian. My information is sourced from people that I personally know in the finance industry and civil service. That is people that work in these areas.
The IMF was running out of money and Japan deposited about $200 Billion as a stop gap measure. They had to ask China to contribute because the Japanese contribution was insufficient.
Why do you think China is now on the IMF/World Bank governing body? The west did not want it anywhere near these institutions, can you imagine a communist government telling the freedom loving west what to do? It had no choice!
Serbia is a small country and it has to borrow to stay alive, just like all the EU member countries. How do you think the UK, France, Belgium are surviving? Even the economic power house, Germany, is losing jobs due to corporate collapse. These are tough times for all.
I very strongly suggest that you save your Euros and travel to China very, very soon. I travelled through parts of China in 2003 then covered the same route early this year. Places that were mere fishing villages, small towns etc are now massive cities with multi-lane highways, modern buildings, metros, bridges railways and other infrastructure that just has to be seen to be believed.
You have no idea or concept of what is happening in China – I could not believe my own eyes at the transformation.
People do not starve in China, I can guarantee you that, but there are people in countries in Eastern Europe, which are members of the EU, that pay their pensioners $100 per month to live on.
Yaroslav wrote: "Well. With their mentality in 10 years June 28, 2014 will be kinown as the day the EU died."
Based on your name, I have to tell you that....no one will ask you or your country anything.
IMAGE SOURCE
19 Komentari
Sortiraj po: