U.S. won’t allow change of borders in Balkans, analyst says

BELGRADE Political analyst Obrad Kesic told B92 that the U.S. would not allow change of borders in the Balkans and that Serbia needed to accept the reality. He stressed that other solutions, that are not unilateral, should be found in order to solve the Kosovo issue. U.S. won’t allow change of borders in Balkans, analyst says Kesic added that it was very important for Serbia to agree with the process. Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Belgrade, he said that the information sounded “very odd” to him. “The information has not been confirmed yet. It is odd that she is visiting the Balkans at the end of her mandate. However, the Albanian community actively participates in the U.S. elections, so she probably has some interest,” the analyst noted. Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday that Brussels could not make Serbia recognize Kosovo’s independence and that the only possible and realistic solution was the partition of the province. “I still think that a partition (of Kosovo) is the only possible realistic solution, and I'm sure the Albanians in Pristina would accept it. However, it raises the question of whether it could cause shockwaves in the region - while at the same time, the fact is being avoided that a partition of Serbia would cause shockwaves.", Dacic said. The U.S. said on Saturday that it was against any change of borders in the Balkans. “Washington is absolutely against any change of borders in the Balkans, and it does not even want to discuss the issue,” Tanjug was told in the U.S. capital. An official in Barack Obama's administration told Tanjug's correspondent that the U.S. believed that any change of borders in the Balkans would have an extremely negative influence on the stability in the region. “For the U.S., this story ended once we recognized Kosovo and its current borders. We have voiced our view on a number of occasions in the talks with Belgrade officials,” he added. Obrad Kesic (B92, file) B92

U.S. won’t allow change of borders in Balkans, analyst says

Kesić added that it was very important for Serbia to agree with the process.

Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Belgrade, he said that the information sounded “very odd” to him.

“The information has not been confirmed yet. It is odd that she is visiting the Balkans at the end of her mandate. However, the Albanian community actively participates in the U.S. elections, so she probably has some interest,” the analyst noted.

Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said on Friday that Brussels could not make Serbia recognize Kosovo’s independence and that the only possible and realistic solution was the partition of the province.

“I still think that a partition (of Kosovo) is the only possible realistic solution, and I'm sure the Albanians in Priština would accept it. However, it raises the question of whether it could cause shockwaves in the region - while at the same time, the fact is being avoided that a partition of Serbia would cause shockwaves.", Dačić said.

The U.S. said on Saturday that it was against any change of borders in the Balkans.

“Washington is absolutely against any change of borders in the Balkans, and it does not even want to discuss the issue,” Tanjug was told in the U.S. capital.

An official in Barack Obama's administration told Tanjug's correspondent that the U.S. believed that any change of borders in the Balkans would have an extremely negative influence on the stability in the region.

“For the U.S., this story ended once we recognized Kosovo and its current borders. We have voiced our view on a number of occasions in the talks with Belgrade officials,” he added.