"Talks possible, Serbia can't keep Kosovo"

U.S. expert for the Balkans Martin Sletzinger says "there is room" for new negotiations on Kosovo.

Izvor: Beta

Thursday, 29.07.2010.

09:27

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U.S. expert for the Balkans Martin Sletzinger says "there is room" for new negotiations on Kosovo. But also pointed out that Serbia cannot achieve both of its priorities - join the EU and keep Kosovo as its part. "Talks possible, Serbia can't keep Kosovo" "There is certainly room for new negotiations. The problem is... there are key differences in views as to what these negotiations will focus on. I think the EU and the Kosovars (Kosovo Albanians) hope that the negotiations will focus on technical issues guiding relations on the ground between the Serb minority and the Albanian majority." "For the Serbs, naturally, should be on status and Serbia's relationship to Kosovo. In this respect, I would hope there is room for both types of negotiations," Sletzinger, an associate of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center, said in an interview with Beta news agency. Asked whether Serbia could achieve both of its goals, to join the EU and keep Kosovo within Serbia, Sletzinger simply replied: "No." "I do not believe it is possible for Serbia to physically keep Kosovo within Serbia. It has been physically separated for over a decade," he said. It is clear, Sletzinger went on to say, that the EU wants Serbia to become a member "Kosovo notwithstanding," but it is also clear relations between Serbia and Kosovo will have to be regularized prior to Serbia's admission to the Union. Touching on the subject of Kosovo's borders, Sletzinger said the U.S. and its NATO allies "continue to take the completely unhelpful and unrealistic position" that the borders of Kosovo cannot be changed because of the precedent that would hold for other countries.

"Talks possible, Serbia can't keep Kosovo"

"There is certainly room for new negotiations. The problem is... there are key differences in views as to what these negotiations will focus on. I think the EU and the Kosovars (Kosovo Albanians) hope that the negotiations will focus on technical issues guiding relations on the ground between the Serb minority and the Albanian majority."

"For the Serbs, naturally, should be on status and Serbia's relationship to Kosovo. In this respect, I would hope there is room for both types of negotiations," Sletzinger, an associate of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center, said in an interview with Beta news agency.

Asked whether Serbia could achieve both of its goals, to join the EU and keep Kosovo within Serbia, Sletzinger simply replied: "No."

"I do not believe it is possible for Serbia to physically keep Kosovo within Serbia. It has been physically separated for over a decade," he said.

It is clear, Sletzinger went on to say, that the EU wants Serbia to become a member "Kosovo notwithstanding," but it is also clear relations between Serbia and Kosovo will have to be regularized prior to Serbia's admission to the Union.

Touching on the subject of Kosovo's borders, Sletzinger said the U.S. and its NATO allies "continue to take the completely unhelpful and unrealistic position" that the borders of Kosovo cannot be changed because of the precedent that would hold for other countries.

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