FM thinks Pristina will cross red lines "real soon"

SManalysis

Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic does not expect significant progress in resolving the Kosovo issue at the Paris summit that will be held on July 1.

SOURCE: TANJUG TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 | 11:56

The meeting will be organized by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Dacic expects pressure on Serbia to continue, but says his country has become accustomed to pressure, and that "nothing will come out that" - when it comes to recognizing Kosovo - its southern province - as independent.

"That will not be accepted either by President Vucic or this government," Dacic told Tanjug.

Commenting on various interpretations of the results of the summit in Berlin in late April, primarily Pristina's that said the deadlocked Belgrade-Pristina dialogue had already "begun" - and what can be expected from the meeting in Paris, since it is scheduled in the same format, Dacic said the time between now and the meeting was "too long and far away, bearing in mind the stormy political scene in Europe and in our region."

"It's a long way to that meeting in Paris, to be able to already speak about what will happen there. First, EU elections must be completed, the mood and balance of power within the European Union will depend on the results of these elections," he said.

Asked whether the very selection of the participants in the meeting was, as he had commented before the Berlin meeting, a kind of pressure on Serbia - Dacic said: "Essentially, at that meeting, everyone was expressing themselves about some things that don't concern them."

"This is about trying to find elements for unblocking the dialogue and we must have very precise formulations, meaning that the dialogue format will not change. The dialogue will remain in Brussels, modeled and managed by Federica Mogherini, that is, the EU foreign policy chief, and who will hold that office starting late this year, we'll see after EU elections," he said.

Bearing in mind the real balance of power in the western hemisphere, Dacic continued - "of course they will continue with pressure in order to, in the future, complete this 'sovereignty of the state of Kosovo'."

"Of course, we said that we will never recognize without an agreement and without a compromise," Dacic said, explaining that the message of Vucic was formulated as, "what is a solution now, except for Kosovo - not thanks to him or to him recognizing it - gaining independence and sovereignty over the whole territory."

That is a point of view on the issue of historical responsibility, not Vucic's stance on the fate of Kosovo and Metohija, Dacic said.

Speaking about the upcoming meeting in Paris, Dacic said it was very important that Macron and Merkel are dealing with the issue, adding that they are there "to help unblock the dialogue" - but also warned about Pristina's "almost irrational behavior."

"The treatment Haradinaj and Pristina are used to is best seen in them refusing to revoke taxes (on goods from central Serbia) even after Mogherini who represents the EU, Merkel as the strongest economy in Europe, France as a permanent member of (UN) Security Council, the US administration and Trump sending a letter (in favor of revoking taxes)," he said.

"Of course they have the support of those who helped them (Kosovo) be created, but that support has its limits. It has its red lines. I think they will cross those red lines real soon, precisely with this kind of behavior," Dacic said.