“Fight for new Kosovo talks in 2010”

11 January 2010 | 10:01 | Source: Blic

BELGRADE -- Belgrade daily Blic writes that the Serbian government will be calling for new negotiations for the Kosovo status solution in 2010. Steps have been taken to immediately, “literally the day after the opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague is given, to call a meeting of the UN Security Council”, says the newspaper. “A fast push and fast progress” will then begin in order to get new negotiations and finding a solution between Belgrade and Priština, Blic writes. The daily’s source said that without this, Serbia’s strategic goal of EU membership will not be possible. “The open question of Kosovo is halting Serbia’s EU progress, hurting relations with American as the largest world power without whom there is no political or economic progress, it is also straining relations with the most influential and prosperous European countries and making Serbian unable to become a true leader in the region, because real friendly relations with its neighbors are not possible,” the article continues. In the region, only Romania and Bosnia-Herzegovina have not recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence, and of the others, only Montenegro has yet to send an ambassador to Priština, Blic says. Belgrade, “naturally”, writes this newspaper, reacts negatively to ever step towards cooperation with Kosovo by its neighbors, “deteriorating” relations in the region. Even though political analysts and experts maintain that the search for Kosovo solution cannot be fast or easy, the government is dedicated to making “fast progress” in solving Serbia’s main problem this year, Blic writes.