Certain diplomats claim that “negotiations are under way in the United States on a possible solution to the Kosovo issue” and that the former US Ambassador to Serbia, Cameron Munter is involved in this process.
“Parallel negotiations behind the scenes are something that the EU does not approve of since it mediates in the Brussels dialogue. Germany is especially against these talks,” the Danas’ sources point out.
According to the daily, Munter and other participants still don’t want to give any official or unofficial statements on this topic. Munter is also the chairman of the East-West Institute. In his last year’s interview for TV N1, Munter estimated that America had withdrawn from the Balkans in recent years, adding that that was not good.
Yesterday’s meeting of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Federica Mogherini and Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade was held at Mogerini’s initiative. The sources of the Danas daily add that it was the EU official who “stopped” in Belgrade on the road to the conference held in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. She did not express any concern over the announcement that the Serbian List would form the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) by themselves.
“Mogherini does not fear that the official Belgrade could suspend the negotiations Brussels following the recent arrest of Marko Djuric in North Mitrovica”, sources say. The Brussels officials are “quite cautious in assessing tensions between Belgrade and Pristina,” but Brussels is confident that the negotiations on normalizing relations will continue.
Last year, Munter told Tanjug that the launch of the internal dialogue on Kosovo was an excellent initiative and expressed his hope that it would be successful. “It’s a very welcome decision. I think that Serbia and Kosovo are ready to talk about the future within the EU”, Munter, pointing out that the East West Institute, which opened a regional office in Belgrade, wanted to help with the negotiations.
The Serbian President went to New York last week, after which he said he “expected the West to have a greater understanding t for Serbia,” while at the same time, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi was also in Washington. Both Vucic and Thaçi deny claims that they met each other in the United States.
Aleksandar Vucic also talked with the current US Ambassador to Serbia, Kyle Scott about the situation in Kosovo yesterday. According to a press release from the Serbian Press Office, they agreed that “provocation, use of force and disrespect are unacceptable” and that “they do not create an adequate environment for stability in the region”. “The two sides agreed that it is important to try to reduce tensions, that all parties should approach disputes and resolve them in a peaceful and calm manner, as well as avoid any steps that would further complicate the already tense situation. Ambassador Scott has appealed to both sides to focus on normalizing relations through dialogue with the EU’s intervention, and expressed his country’s readiness to support all parties in the negotiations that take place through dialogue, “the statement said.
(Danas, 29.03.2018)
https://www.danas.rs/politika/u-pregovorima-o-kosovu-ucestvuje-i-manter/
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