EU official: Belgrade won't have to choose

PRN: Yes! Kosovo is Albania, and everybod knows, Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was part of the Roman Empire, and Italy is the legal successor of the Roman Empire, and Italy is already an EU member, so... suprise, surprise: Kosovo is already in the EU!

Congratulations and THANK YOU, Julius Caesar ;-)

Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

umm the article (if you can read it) says exactly the OPPOSTITE, but yes, gjon, let's listen to you instead of the eu official... your stance probably holds more weight.

"He also added that the European Commission (EC) expects that every EU candidate country should have good relations with the neighboring countries if it wants to make progress toward the EU."

Wise words! But where's the problem? It's simple: Kosovo is not a "neighbouring country".

The message is fairly clear. Serbia can join the EU and all loyal citizens from Kosovo will be part of it. However, "Kosova" will be excluded until status negotiations are completed with Serbia.

If Serbia wants to hold a grudge against K. no one would care, as long as it recognizes K. as a country.
(miri, 14 April 2010 15:50)

EU has no unified stance towards Kosovo being a country or not. Hence it simply does not count as a "neighbor".

"The message is fairly clear:

Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony.

That is what will come, if you stay on this track. Your Choice!
(John, 14 April 2010 15:51) "


"There is no connection between the resolution of Belgrade-Priština relations and Serbia's future steps in the EU integration process. The questionnaire will prove that Belgrade is in no way made to choose between the EU path and Serbia's aspirations to maintain Kosovo as its integral part," Fuele pointed out."


One wonders if 'John' & his fellow albanians below are speaking the same language as EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele.

Hmm, now if a number of countries are hinging their decision to recognize Kosovo-UNMIK on what Belgrade does or doesn't do, isn't declaring that it is perfectly fine for Serbia not to recognize a definitive death-nail in Pristina's futile march towards sovereignty? Even if Serbia gets into the EU without its wayward southern province, what does that say about Kosovo-UNMIK, which is already the poorest and most backward region of Europe? I mean, on one level I'm elated the idiotic Holbrook ultimatum of "Serbia must choose" has been discarded, but on another level, the more K Albanian officials continue to insist they're leaders of a separate country and insist on full equality even though they have no sovereign legality, the more the region will continue to remain unstable. Now that the EU has once again told Belgrade it's perfectly fine to disregard Pristina, EULEX really needs to reign in Pristina and keep the type of political extremism that's defined its political rhetoric of late under control.

If "Belgrade won't have to choose", Pristina's going to have to seriously lower its expectations.

Albanian posters need to read the article before commenting. It is clear that the EU is not conditioning Serbian's admission into the EU with the recognition of Kosovo as an independent country.

Even when look at the flow of events, Greece, Slovakia already recognize K-passports. Greece's and most recently Slovakia's FM met with his K-counterpart and K-authorities. You can make jokes and fool around, hopefully it serves your mental status, but if you are going to insist on something, bring a little more analysis in here.
(miri, 14 April 2010 19:02)

Miri
Your posting is wishfull thinking.

There is hardly any Albanian carrying a passport when trying to get into Greece.Most of them are coming without papers hoping they can remain in the country illegally.

It has also been reported by the Greek press that no kosovo passports are accepted by the Greek immigration officials and instead passengers are given a Greek form with the persons particulars on it.

"He also added that the European Commission (EC) expects that every EU candidate country should have good relations with the neighboring countries if it wants to make progress toward the EU."

Wise words! But where's the problem? It's simple: Kosovo is not a "neighbouring country".
(Top, 14 April 2010, 12:59)

BTW: "good" relationship can be interpreted many ways. For instance, Estonia does not have the best relationship with Russia and Belarus. Greece has pretty awful relationship with Turkey. Slovakia and Hungary are sworn enemies. And I am not even talking Cyprus and Turkey.

But all pass the (pretty low) limbo - and that the relationship between Tirana and Belgrade certainly does pass even today. Official or on-business visitors do not need visa. As soon as EU puts Albania on the "Schengen White List" Belgrade will abolish the visas, probably sooner. It is a common knowledge, the talks about visa-free travel are out there. That certainly qualifies for "good relations", even today the relationship between Tirana and Belgrade is better than between Bratislava and Budapest. I am not even talking Athens and Ankara.

Of course, the appeasement-Europeans cannot be so direct in this early stage.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

Agree.

-----

But the closer Serbia gets to the Eu, the more obvious it will be that there is no other way. Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

This is not my choice because I am a tourist or at best a consultant in Serbia/KiM. And if things go bad in EU - I am always backed by an American passport which makes of course me sound pretty cheap.

Now for the other part: EU has it's own pressure - much bigger than Serbia has. Serbia can delay the final solution of Kosovo for an other 200 years, they function OK without Kosovo being an integral part of the country.

On the other side Serbia has a geographic / geo-strategic position EU just can't change overnight. For instance, Danube cuts the EU literally in half and the capacity of the bridges between Romania and Bulgaria is very limited. All I say - in 2010 it's a mere SINGLE TRACK, NON-ELECTRIFIED bridge + one secondary link at Kardam.

This is why EU is pushing Serbia that hard towards EU, it's all about huge money in logistics and extra 6-7 million customers.

"Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony." (John)

-- Hmm, interesting flow of ideas, but I've got a more realistic one:

Kosovo issue not settled = Serbia gets into EU without Kosovo = Albanians declare indirect victory for being “recognized” = nobody listens = no decisive investments in Kosovo = worsening political/economic agony = no future for anyone living in Kosovo = Albanians leaving the area = rise in crime = destabilization of region = back to the drawing board.

If the Kosovo issue isn't settled and Serbia suffers as you postulate, I can't imagine the conditions for Kosovo-UNMIK which is already suffering from lack of infrastructure. Or did you forget how Kosovo's going to get into the EU on its own in the absence of a settled agreement?

Belgrade has nothing to lose by not negotiating. Pristina has everything to lose.

"BTW: "good" relationship can be interpreted many ways. For instance, Estonia does not have the best relationship with Russia and Belarus. Greece has pretty awful relationship with Turkey. Slovakia and Hungary are sworn enemies. And I am not even talking Cyprus and Turkey."

Yet, all of these countries recognizes each other, except for the Cyprus case. But Cyprus is the exact thing, EU-Europe doesn't want to have any more. It is has been stated in many occasion then many regret Cyprus' accession before solving the partition issue. Many "appeasement"- Europeans thought that the issue will solve miracly by itself when Cyprus is in the EU, but in fact, it strengthened the Turkish part to be even more persistent. This whole story is a story of failure I can give you the absolute assurance then some (you just need one) will not repeat this mistake again. No matter how the Kosovo question should be solved, it must be solved before Serbia can enter in the EU. Of course, the appeasement-Europeans cannot be so direct in this early stage. But the closer Serbia gets to the Eu, the more obvious it will be that there is no other way. Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.

"Are you suggesting that Albania is legal Italian now?"

Yes, exactly! There are even Albanians living in mainland Italy. And in case it's not legal, Albanian businessmen will buy whole Italy! Then Albania and Italy is the same. For more details, feel free to ask PRN and/or Kosovo/USA ;-)

One good thing with all this desperate and contradictory statements from €USSR is that €U will loose in a serbian referendum on membership.

You simply can not trust someone that bombs you and kill you citizen for no reason and then makes desperate threaths and empty promises. If €U was a person he would be locked up in a lunatic asylum or kept behind bars.

Kosovo is likely to join with Albania in 2016, and it is ONLY fair because after all Kosovo is Albania. It is silly to call it otherwise because we have no borders, no passports, one language, one culture and ONE HISTORY.
(PRN, 14 April 2010 16:05)
======================

So how do you plan to get the rebel 5 to agree with you?
All it takes is one no from any of them and you're out.
You can't keep sneaking behind Albanian into venues for ever.

"If not, Serbia can keep stalling itself forever, K. and Serbia will simply have to live with it as the only two countries in the Ballkans that can't get into EU."
miri

Who is staling? Serbia has been bombed, sanctionized and have 12 percent of it country under occupation. Still, it enjoys visa free travel, increased investments, great success in sports (will soon arange the EU championships in handball). How far has Albania come? Albania has been untouched for over 20 years and can't recover. Albanians are still escaping Kosovo by hiding in trucks and the trunks of cars. I wonder who is moving forward and who is standing still.

EU official: Belgrade won't have to choose.

Naturally. The skies are getting clearer and clearer. The EU officials are pretty certain now that Kosovo is to join the EU prior to Serbia, if the latter is given the chance to be admitted.

Kosovo is likely to join with Albania in 2016, and it is ONLY fair because after all Kosovo is Albania. It is silly to call it otherwise because we have no borders, no passports, one language, one culture and ONE HISTORY.

I'm confused Top. Are you suggesting that Albania is legal Italian now? Since Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was in the Roman Empire and Italy is the legal sucessor to the Roman Empire? So since Kosovo is Italian it is in the UN and EU already?

PRN: Yes! Kosovo is Albania, and everybod knows, Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was part of the Roman Empire, and Italy is the legal successor of the Roman Empire, and Italy is already an EU member, so... suprise, surprise: Kosovo is already in the EU!

Congratulations and THANK YOU, Julius Caesar ;-)
(Top, 14 April 2010 16:50)

Yes, you're right when you say that those territories were part of the Roman Empire.
You are also right when you say that Italy descend from the Roman Empire.
You are wrong when you say that you (as people) were part of the Roman Empire, because only Romans had political weight at that time.
Then you have to consider that the Romans COLONIZED "your" territories just to have more economical resources and all the people coming from the occupied regions were slaves, so maybe you are a descending from a Roman's slave.
Romans were the only to know the right way to talk to you: SUBMISSION AND PAX ROMANA

EU has no unified stance towards Kosovo being a country or not. Hence it simply does not count as a "neighbor".
(Ataman, 14 April 2010 16:31)

You are being really stubborn. 22 countries of EU also beg to differ. Unless they re-draw their recognition, K. is a country to them and a neighbor to Serbia. Are you willing to bet on them to do so, or you just have too much time to spend in this site and don't bother to offer something more than your train links. EU hasn't recognized K as a block because simply it does not have any policy to do so. There is no EU foreign ministry. There is not EU ambassador, yet the only representative that EU could produce in this case, Mr. Feith, is staunchly pro K-independence. Yet again for a country to join EU, all of them have to agree so which is going to be, the 22 of them withdraw recognition, or the "incredible" five find a way somehow to accept K as a country. Even when look at the flow of events, Greece, Slovakia already recognize K-passports. Greece's and most recently Slovakia's FM met with his K-counterpart and K-authorities. You can make jokes and fool around, hopefully it serves your mental status, but if you are going to insist on something, bring a little more analysis in here.

Serbia will join EU without recognizing Kosovo. That is my guess. Kosovo will not join EU as a state. But will be governed by EU and UN.

And yes, that can be the case for decades. Check Taiwan, Northern Cyprus.

What the Albanian posters say here is not analysis. It is speculation and anti-Serb rhetoric. When the guy say that Serbia will not be required to recognize Kosovo, then there is nothing to analyze. It is clear. But the Albanians speculate using more what-ifs than facts. Fully read the article and there is nothing to even try to analyze.

Miri,

please put emotions aside, I am not attacking you as a person.
But besides of emotions I do not understand what you are saying.

Do you say that the entire EU will develop a unified stance towards Kosovo?
If yes, than my opinion is that it simply won't happen.

Do you say that 22 countries of EU will do their best to push the rest 5?
That won't happen either.

For one reason or other there could be 2-3 "minor" countries which would even withdraw the recognition but I am not betting on that. The most likely two are Czech Republic and Poland, but only if the ICJ verdict is pro-Serbian. I am not betting on Hungary - but the recent meeting between Orbán and Nikolic was a surprise, I did not expect it.

Ataman, many beg to differ about your perceived neighboring relations.

All countries that you mentioned exchange ambassadors regularly at the highest levels, despite of their attitude towards each other. If Serbia wants to hold a grudge against K. no one would care, as long as it recognizes K. as a country. If not, Serbia can keep stalling itself forever, K. and Serbia will simply have to live with it as the only two countries in the Ballkans that can't get into EU.

The message is fairly clear:

Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony.

That is what will come, if you stay on this track. Your Choice!

There is hardly any Albanian carrying a passport when trying to get into Greece.Most of them are coming without papers hoping they can remain in the country illegally.

It has also been reported by the Greek press that no kosovo passports are accepted by the Greek immigration officials and instead passengers are given a Greek form with the persons particulars on it.
(Leonidas, 14 April 2010 19:46)

Leonidas
I am Kosovo Passport holder and I have been in Greece myself. Of course, I had to get the visa first but I was in Greece.

On the other side Serbia has a geographic / geo-strategic position EU just can't change overnight. For instance, Danube cuts the EU literally in half and the capacity of the bridges between Romania and Bulgaria is very limited. All I say - in 2010 it's a mere SINGLE TRACK, NON-ELECTRIFIED bridge + one secondary link at Kardam.

This is why EU is pushing Serbia that hard towards EU, it's all about huge money in logistics and extra 6-7 million customers.
(Ataman, 14 April 2010 16:27)

Yes geographic position will be decisive whether one nation deserves freedom or not and not is own will.

Serbia will not be asked because:

When this process was initiated by Kostunica, Kosova was left out of EU integration when EU deals with the Serbian state. So in that way Serbia if it wants to enter the EU it has to do so without Kosova. Your former prime minister signed it away.

EU as a body cannot ask Serbia anything regarding Kosova because there is no EU unity. So any EU official speaking in the name of EU has no authority to ask this.

Having in mind that such question will not be asked because Serbia itself signed away Kosova when the process of EU integration was started, also because there is no EU unity in regards to EU policies towards Kosova, and having in mind that EU member states are the ones that decide about the membership of candidate states, and that each EU member state is able to pursue its own foreign policy outside of EU; then how will the policies of EU member states affect Serbia's EU future even though EU bodies cannot ask any questions regarding Kosova for the reason mentioned above. Will then member states based on their authority to pursue their own foreign policy pose such questions and condition indeed pose such questions and conditions to Serbia? This remains a gray area. On the one side there are EU officials stating questions will not be asked, on the other side you have foreign ministers of member states speaking in two tongues about it. What is it then?

Leonidas
I am Kosovo Passport holder and I have been in Greece myself. Of course, I had to get the visa first but I was in Greece.
(Simpatiku, 15 April 2010 07:42)
=======================

Hold any other passport besides a Kosovo passport?
You say you have one, but did you use that one or did you use another one to get into Greece?

EU official: Belgrade won't have to choose.

Naturally. The skies are getting clearer and clearer. The EU officials are pretty certain now that Kosovo is to join the EU prior to Serbia, if the latter is given the chance to be admitted.

Kosovo is likely to join with Albania in 2016, and it is ONLY fair because after all Kosovo is Albania. It is silly to call it otherwise because we have no borders, no passports, one language, one culture and ONE HISTORY.

Ataman, many beg to differ about your perceived neighboring relations.

All countries that you mentioned exchange ambassadors regularly at the highest levels, despite of their attitude towards each other. If Serbia wants to hold a grudge against K. no one would care, as long as it recognizes K. as a country. If not, Serbia can keep stalling itself forever, K. and Serbia will simply have to live with it as the only two countries in the Ballkans that can't get into EU.

The message is fairly clear:

Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony.

That is what will come, if you stay on this track. Your Choice!

"BTW: "good" relationship can be interpreted many ways. For instance, Estonia does not have the best relationship with Russia and Belarus. Greece has pretty awful relationship with Turkey. Slovakia and Hungary are sworn enemies. And I am not even talking Cyprus and Turkey."

Yet, all of these countries recognizes each other, except for the Cyprus case. But Cyprus is the exact thing, EU-Europe doesn't want to have any more. It is has been stated in many occasion then many regret Cyprus' accession before solving the partition issue. Many "appeasement"- Europeans thought that the issue will solve miracly by itself when Cyprus is in the EU, but in fact, it strengthened the Turkish part to be even more persistent. This whole story is a story of failure I can give you the absolute assurance then some (you just need one) will not repeat this mistake again. No matter how the Kosovo question should be solved, it must be solved before Serbia can enter in the EU. Of course, the appeasement-Europeans cannot be so direct in this early stage. But the closer Serbia gets to the Eu, the more obvious it will be that there is no other way. Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.

"He also added that the European Commission (EC) expects that every EU candidate country should have good relations with the neighboring countries if it wants to make progress toward the EU."

Wise words! But where's the problem? It's simple: Kosovo is not a "neighbouring country".

The message is fairly clear. Serbia can join the EU and all loyal citizens from Kosovo will be part of it. However, "Kosova" will be excluded until status negotiations are completed with Serbia.

On the other side Serbia has a geographic / geo-strategic position EU just can't change overnight. For instance, Danube cuts the EU literally in half and the capacity of the bridges between Romania and Bulgaria is very limited. All I say - in 2010 it's a mere SINGLE TRACK, NON-ELECTRIFIED bridge + one secondary link at Kardam.

This is why EU is pushing Serbia that hard towards EU, it's all about huge money in logistics and extra 6-7 million customers.
(Ataman, 14 April 2010 16:27)

Yes geographic position will be decisive whether one nation deserves freedom or not and not is own will.

EU has no unified stance towards Kosovo being a country or not. Hence it simply does not count as a "neighbor".
(Ataman, 14 April 2010 16:31)

You are being really stubborn. 22 countries of EU also beg to differ. Unless they re-draw their recognition, K. is a country to them and a neighbor to Serbia. Are you willing to bet on them to do so, or you just have too much time to spend in this site and don't bother to offer something more than your train links. EU hasn't recognized K as a block because simply it does not have any policy to do so. There is no EU foreign ministry. There is not EU ambassador, yet the only representative that EU could produce in this case, Mr. Feith, is staunchly pro K-independence. Yet again for a country to join EU, all of them have to agree so which is going to be, the 22 of them withdraw recognition, or the "incredible" five find a way somehow to accept K as a country. Even when look at the flow of events, Greece, Slovakia already recognize K-passports. Greece's and most recently Slovakia's FM met with his K-counterpart and K-authorities. You can make jokes and fool around, hopefully it serves your mental status, but if you are going to insist on something, bring a little more analysis in here.

One good thing with all this desperate and contradictory statements from €USSR is that €U will loose in a serbian referendum on membership.

You simply can not trust someone that bombs you and kill you citizen for no reason and then makes desperate threaths and empty promises. If €U was a person he would be locked up in a lunatic asylum or kept behind bars.

"He also added that the European Commission (EC) expects that every EU candidate country should have good relations with the neighboring countries if it wants to make progress toward the EU."

Wise words! But where's the problem? It's simple: Kosovo is not a "neighbouring country".
(Top, 14 April 2010, 12:59)

BTW: "good" relationship can be interpreted many ways. For instance, Estonia does not have the best relationship with Russia and Belarus. Greece has pretty awful relationship with Turkey. Slovakia and Hungary are sworn enemies. And I am not even talking Cyprus and Turkey.

But all pass the (pretty low) limbo - and that the relationship between Tirana and Belgrade certainly does pass even today. Official or on-business visitors do not need visa. As soon as EU puts Albania on the "Schengen White List" Belgrade will abolish the visas, probably sooner. It is a common knowledge, the talks about visa-free travel are out there. That certainly qualifies for "good relations", even today the relationship between Tirana and Belgrade is better than between Bratislava and Budapest. I am not even talking Athens and Ankara.

Hmm, now if a number of countries are hinging their decision to recognize Kosovo-UNMIK on what Belgrade does or doesn't do, isn't declaring that it is perfectly fine for Serbia not to recognize a definitive death-nail in Pristina's futile march towards sovereignty? Even if Serbia gets into the EU without its wayward southern province, what does that say about Kosovo-UNMIK, which is already the poorest and most backward region of Europe? I mean, on one level I'm elated the idiotic Holbrook ultimatum of "Serbia must choose" has been discarded, but on another level, the more K Albanian officials continue to insist they're leaders of a separate country and insist on full equality even though they have no sovereign legality, the more the region will continue to remain unstable. Now that the EU has once again told Belgrade it's perfectly fine to disregard Pristina, EULEX really needs to reign in Pristina and keep the type of political extremism that's defined its political rhetoric of late under control.

If "Belgrade won't have to choose", Pristina's going to have to seriously lower its expectations.

"Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony." (John)

-- Hmm, interesting flow of ideas, but I've got a more realistic one:

Kosovo issue not settled = Serbia gets into EU without Kosovo = Albanians declare indirect victory for being “recognized” = nobody listens = no decisive investments in Kosovo = worsening political/economic agony = no future for anyone living in Kosovo = Albanians leaving the area = rise in crime = destabilization of region = back to the drawing board.

If the Kosovo issue isn't settled and Serbia suffers as you postulate, I can't imagine the conditions for Kosovo-UNMIK which is already suffering from lack of infrastructure. Or did you forget how Kosovo's going to get into the EU on its own in the absence of a settled agreement?

Belgrade has nothing to lose by not negotiating. Pristina has everything to lose.

Albanian posters need to read the article before commenting. It is clear that the EU is not conditioning Serbian's admission into the EU with the recognition of Kosovo as an independent country.

Serbia will not be asked because:

When this process was initiated by Kostunica, Kosova was left out of EU integration when EU deals with the Serbian state. So in that way Serbia if it wants to enter the EU it has to do so without Kosova. Your former prime minister signed it away.

EU as a body cannot ask Serbia anything regarding Kosova because there is no EU unity. So any EU official speaking in the name of EU has no authority to ask this.

Having in mind that such question will not be asked because Serbia itself signed away Kosova when the process of EU integration was started, also because there is no EU unity in regards to EU policies towards Kosova, and having in mind that EU member states are the ones that decide about the membership of candidate states, and that each EU member state is able to pursue its own foreign policy outside of EU; then how will the policies of EU member states affect Serbia's EU future even though EU bodies cannot ask any questions regarding Kosova for the reason mentioned above. Will then member states based on their authority to pursue their own foreign policy pose such questions and condition indeed pose such questions and conditions to Serbia? This remains a gray area. On the one side there are EU officials stating questions will not be asked, on the other side you have foreign ministers of member states speaking in two tongues about it. What is it then?

If Serbia wants to hold a grudge against K. no one would care, as long as it recognizes K. as a country.
(miri, 14 April 2010 15:50)

EU has no unified stance towards Kosovo being a country or not. Hence it simply does not count as a "neighbor".

Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

umm the article (if you can read it) says exactly the OPPOSTITE, but yes, gjon, let's listen to you instead of the eu official... your stance probably holds more weight.

Even when look at the flow of events, Greece, Slovakia already recognize K-passports. Greece's and most recently Slovakia's FM met with his K-counterpart and K-authorities. You can make jokes and fool around, hopefully it serves your mental status, but if you are going to insist on something, bring a little more analysis in here.
(miri, 14 April 2010 19:02)

Miri
Your posting is wishfull thinking.

There is hardly any Albanian carrying a passport when trying to get into Greece.Most of them are coming without papers hoping they can remain in the country illegally.

It has also been reported by the Greek press that no kosovo passports are accepted by the Greek immigration officials and instead passengers are given a Greek form with the persons particulars on it.

There is hardly any Albanian carrying a passport when trying to get into Greece.Most of them are coming without papers hoping they can remain in the country illegally.

It has also been reported by the Greek press that no kosovo passports are accepted by the Greek immigration officials and instead passengers are given a Greek form with the persons particulars on it.
(Leonidas, 14 April 2010 19:46)

Leonidas
I am Kosovo Passport holder and I have been in Greece myself. Of course, I had to get the visa first but I was in Greece.

Of course, the appeasement-Europeans cannot be so direct in this early stage.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

Agree.

-----

But the closer Serbia gets to the Eu, the more obvious it will be that there is no other way. Either EU and no Kosovo....or losing both. That is the only choice you have.
(John, 14 April 2010 14:32)

This is not my choice because I am a tourist or at best a consultant in Serbia/KiM. And if things go bad in EU - I am always backed by an American passport which makes of course me sound pretty cheap.

Now for the other part: EU has it's own pressure - much bigger than Serbia has. Serbia can delay the final solution of Kosovo for an other 200 years, they function OK without Kosovo being an integral part of the country.

On the other side Serbia has a geographic / geo-strategic position EU just can't change overnight. For instance, Danube cuts the EU literally in half and the capacity of the bridges between Romania and Bulgaria is very limited. All I say - in 2010 it's a mere SINGLE TRACK, NON-ELECTRIFIED bridge + one secondary link at Kardam.

This is why EU is pushing Serbia that hard towards EU, it's all about huge money in logistics and extra 6-7 million customers.

"The message is fairly clear:

Kosovo issue not settled = No EU = No decisive investments = Political/Economical agony = no future for Serbia's children = decline of Serbia = emmigration to the West = more agony.

That is what will come, if you stay on this track. Your Choice!
(John, 14 April 2010 15:51) "


"There is no connection between the resolution of Belgrade-Priština relations and Serbia's future steps in the EU integration process. The questionnaire will prove that Belgrade is in no way made to choose between the EU path and Serbia's aspirations to maintain Kosovo as its integral part," Fuele pointed out."


One wonders if 'John' & his fellow albanians below are speaking the same language as EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele.

PRN: Yes! Kosovo is Albania, and everybod knows, Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was part of the Roman Empire, and Italy is the legal successor of the Roman Empire, and Italy is already an EU member, so... suprise, surprise: Kosovo is already in the EU!

Congratulations and THANK YOU, Julius Caesar ;-)

I'm confused Top. Are you suggesting that Albania is legal Italian now? Since Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was in the Roman Empire and Italy is the legal sucessor to the Roman Empire? So since Kosovo is Italian it is in the UN and EU already?

PRN: Yes! Kosovo is Albania, and everybod knows, Albania is Illyria, and Illyria was part of the Roman Empire, and Italy is the legal successor of the Roman Empire, and Italy is already an EU member, so... suprise, surprise: Kosovo is already in the EU!

Congratulations and THANK YOU, Julius Caesar ;-)
(Top, 14 April 2010 16:50)

Yes, you're right when you say that those territories were part of the Roman Empire.
You are also right when you say that Italy descend from the Roman Empire.
You are wrong when you say that you (as people) were part of the Roman Empire, because only Romans had political weight at that time.
Then you have to consider that the Romans COLONIZED "your" territories just to have more economical resources and all the people coming from the occupied regions were slaves, so maybe you are a descending from a Roman's slave.
Romans were the only to know the right way to talk to you: SUBMISSION AND PAX ROMANA

"If not, Serbia can keep stalling itself forever, K. and Serbia will simply have to live with it as the only two countries in the Ballkans that can't get into EU."
miri

Who is staling? Serbia has been bombed, sanctionized and have 12 percent of it country under occupation. Still, it enjoys visa free travel, increased investments, great success in sports (will soon arange the EU championships in handball). How far has Albania come? Albania has been untouched for over 20 years and can't recover. Albanians are still escaping Kosovo by hiding in trucks and the trunks of cars. I wonder who is moving forward and who is standing still.

"Are you suggesting that Albania is legal Italian now?"

Yes, exactly! There are even Albanians living in mainland Italy. And in case it's not legal, Albanian businessmen will buy whole Italy! Then Albania and Italy is the same. For more details, feel free to ask PRN and/or Kosovo/USA ;-)

Miri,

please put emotions aside, I am not attacking you as a person.
But besides of emotions I do not understand what you are saying.

Do you say that the entire EU will develop a unified stance towards Kosovo?
If yes, than my opinion is that it simply won't happen.

Do you say that 22 countries of EU will do their best to push the rest 5?
That won't happen either.

For one reason or other there could be 2-3 "minor" countries which would even withdraw the recognition but I am not betting on that. The most likely two are Czech Republic and Poland, but only if the ICJ verdict is pro-Serbian. I am not betting on Hungary - but the recent meeting between Orbán and Nikolic was a surprise, I did not expect it.

Serbia will join EU without recognizing Kosovo. That is my guess. Kosovo will not join EU as a state. But will be governed by EU and UN.

And yes, that can be the case for decades. Check Taiwan, Northern Cyprus.

What the Albanian posters say here is not analysis. It is speculation and anti-Serb rhetoric. When the guy say that Serbia will not be required to recognize Kosovo, then there is nothing to analyze. It is clear. But the Albanians speculate using more what-ifs than facts. Fully read the article and there is nothing to even try to analyze.

Kosovo is likely to join with Albania in 2016, and it is ONLY fair because after all Kosovo is Albania. It is silly to call it otherwise because we have no borders, no passports, one language, one culture and ONE HISTORY.
(PRN, 14 April 2010 16:05)
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So how do you plan to get the rebel 5 to agree with you?
All it takes is one no from any of them and you're out.
You can't keep sneaking behind Albanian into venues for ever.

Leonidas
I am Kosovo Passport holder and I have been in Greece myself. Of course, I had to get the visa first but I was in Greece.
(Simpatiku, 15 April 2010 07:42)
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Hold any other passport besides a Kosovo passport?
You say you have one, but did you use that one or did you use another one to get into Greece?