"Things can escalate and get out of control"; Brussels worried over so-called Kosovo

"Things can escalate and get out of control"; Brussels worried over so-called Kosovo

The EU realized for the first time how serious the situation in Kosovo and Metohija is, but also that it is powerless to keep things under control, according to retired diplomat Zoran Milivojević.

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, after the informal discussion of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU countries in Brussels on the tightening of the situation on the so-called Kosovo said that a decision on the license plates should have been reached before November 21 and that "that date must not be met without an agreement or we will be on the verge of a dangerous situation".

As he announced, he is ready to schedule a meeting between Belgrade and Pristina at the highest level, as well as that "the chief negotiators will start working on the next steps here in Brussels already tonight". He also said that "the Kosovo side is coming tonight".

Zoran Milivojević, a retired diplomat, believes that this shows how seriously the EU has taken the situation on the ground.

"According to the way Borrell performed, he seems to understand for the first time that things can escalate and get out of control," Milivojević assesses. Sputnik's interlocutor says that it is not clear from what Borrell said what the EU offered as a solution.

"The issue that he proposed as a solution, if he means the German-French plan, then we cannot expect any breakthrough or anything new because that plan is unacceptable for Serbia. This has already been said in Paris and I think it is completely clear", Milivojević notes.

However, if there is another solution strictly related to license plates, then, he believes, it could be the basis for discussion.

"This means that solutions are being sought based on the previous model that ensured peace and stability for 10 years, which are status-neutral license plates. For Serbia, that would be acceptable for some kind of negotiations, while anything that would interfere with status issues is unlikely to be acceptable," Milivojević is convinced.

Borrell assessed that this is the "most serious crisis since 2013" and asked the parties to engage in order to calm tensions.