Page 9 - aruba-today-20180901

A9
WORLD NEWS Saturday 1 September 2018

Germany, some EU partners oppose Serbia-Kosovo land swap

By PHILIPP JENNE Kosovo Serbs live.
LORNE COOK But Haradinaj wrote on his
VIENNA (AP) — Germany Facebook page Friday that
and some of its European "continuous public debate
Union partners voiced fears on border re-designing and
Friday that a possible land- a land swap is an invitation
swap between Serbia and for new tragedies in the
Kosovo could open up old Balkans." "We have paid
wounds in the Balkans rath- a high price for peace we
er than resolve their long- enjoy nowadays and we
standing differences. wouldn't like to enter into
NATO intervened in 1999 to dangerous scenarios to re-
stop a bloody Serb crack- start a new NATO interven-
down on Albanian sepa- tion," said Haradinaj.
ratists in Kosovo. Kosovo Kadri Veseli, parliamentary
unilaterally declared inde- speaker and leader of the
pendence from Serbia in main Democratic Party
2008. of Kosovo, also opposed
At talks between EU foreign any land swap saying that
ministers in Vienna, German "Kosovo's territorial integrity
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is sacred."
said that any exchange of Belgian Foreign Minister Di-
territory "could rip open too dier Reynders said that it's
many old wounds within up to Belgrade and Pristina
the population. And that's to decide.
why we are very skeptical German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Bar- "I believe it's up to them to
nier, address media during joint press conference as part of meeting at the Foreign Ministry in
about this." Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. establish what might be
There are fears in Western Associated Press the elements of an agree-
Europe that any changes ment," he said. "It's not up
of the borders between new tragedies in the Bal- very negative effect on ing the Kosovo Serb-pop- to the European Union to
Serbia and Kosovo could kans. other countries in this re- ulated territories in the for- provide guidelines on what
trigger the same demands Kosovo is recognized as a gion. That's why you need mer province, Marko Djuric, should be in it. We are try-
in Bosnia, Macedonia and nation by more than 100 to be very careful here," he said Friday in Belgrade that ing above all to support
Montenegro, similar to the countries, but Serbia and told reporters. Kosovo Albanian officials their discussions."
ones that triggered the five EU countries — Cyprus, Tensions between Serbia "can only dream" about Romanian Foreign Minister
bloody breakup of the Greece, Romania, Slova- and Kosovo remain high gaining any part of Serbia Teodor-Viorel Melescanu
former Yugoslavia in the kia and Spain — refuse to after seven years of nego- in the negotiations. agreed, saying that once
1990s. U.S. President Don- do so. Spain, for example, tiations even though the EU "They have this maddening the two reach a clear un-
ald Trump's administration fears that such a move has made it clear to both dream, those crazy territo- derstanding, this would
has signaled it would ac- might encourage Catalan governments that they rial pretentions," said Djuric, "help us very much, other
cept any agreement be- or Basque separatists. must normalize relations if announcing a visit to Koso- countries who have not
tween the two sides. Karin Kneissl, the foreign they hope to join the bloc. vo by Serbian President recognized Kosovo, to ar-
Kosovo President Hashim minister of Austria, whose Some Serbian and Kosovo Aleksandar Vucic to the rive at a final decision
Thaci said in early August country currently holds the government officials have Serb enclaves on Sept. 8-9. about it."
that he rejects the idea of EU's rotating presidency, suggested a possible solu- Thaci told The Associated Serbian Foreign Minister
dividing the territory along said: "I don't want to lec- tion could be a land swap Press on Aug. 1 that there Ivica Dacic said only that
ethnic lines, but he said ture but border changes based on where ethnic would be no "division, but his country is committed to
he is open to discussing "a have always have brought Serb and Albanian minori- a correction of borders" finding a compromise, "but
correction" of borders dur- new problems with them." ties are concentrated — that could possibly make we're not sure yet when it is
ing EU-mediated peace Her Luxembourg counter- Kosovo's northern Mitrovica the Presevo Valley a part going to happen."
talks with Serbia. However, part, Jean Asselborn, said region for Serbia's Presevo of Kosovo. He didn't say The presidents of Serbia
Prime Minister Ramush Ha- "I'm warning against cut- Valley. whether that would involve and Kosovo meet in Brus-
radinaj on Friday said that ting things into pieces." The Serbian government of- a trade of northern Mitro- sels on Sept. 7 to continue
any land swap would bring "This can, let's say, have a ficial in charge of oversee- vica, where the majority of the negotiations.q