Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has indicated he may accept the latest Franco-German plan to normalize relations with Kosovo. Western negotiators have given him the choice of accepting the plan or accepting the consequences of halting EU accession talks and withdrawing foreign investment, he said last night.
Faced with this choice, “I am in favor of the path of compromise, however controversial it may be,” Vucic declared at a press conference broadcast live on television. Kosovo, which has been independent since 2008, is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians. Serbia does not recognize the status of its former province and claims the territory of Kosovo for itself.
Real recognition as a goal
The Franco-German plan, which became known last autumn, foresees, among other things, that Serbia and Kosovo not formally recognize each other, but mutually accept the existence of their state within the current borders. In particular, Serbia would no longer block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations with Russia’s active assistance.
“There is no doubt that we support Kosovo’s accession to the UN, but in fact we would accept its accession,” continued Vucic. But nothing has been decided yet, he added. In the end, the Serbian parliament and “perhaps the people” would have to decide.