By Miriam Specka
Last week, Serbia and Kosovo attended US-brokered talks where they touched on a variety of topics, some more controversial than others. Among the less controversial topics, Kosovo and Serbia agreed to create rail and motorway links between their capitals and establish economic normalization, which is expected to lead to job creation and better political relations. Other topics discussed, however, such as Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s statehood, the diversification of Serbia’s energy supplies, and both countries moving their embassies in Israel to Jarusalem, were contentious.
Regarding Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence, it is important to note that the United States, who pushed for and hosted the talks, recognized Kosovo’s autonomy following it’s declaration of independence in 2008, but Serbia continues to deny its statehood, resulting in elevated tensions following decades of war and ethnic cleansing .
The agreed diversification of Serbia’s energy is sure to impact relations between longtime allies Serbia and Russia, as almost all of the former’s energy supplies are under Russian control. In fact, frenzy was already caused when Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry posted a photo on Facebook supposedly ridiculing Serbia’s negotiations with the USA and Kosovo. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his party defended their actions, saying Zakharova acted out of line and that while in Washington he defended Serbian-Russian ties, emphasizing an arms purchase and Serbia’s refusal to sanction Moscow over its policies in Ukraine despite pressure from the West.
Serbia and Kosovo’s European Union relations are also at stake following agreements made on the relocation of their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, as the EU, which supports a two state solution between Israel and Palestine, warned them that moving their embassies to Jerusalem could harm their efforts to receive EU membership. “There is no EU member state with an embassy in Jerusalem,” said European Commission spokesman Peter Stano. “In this context any diplomatic steps that could call into question the EU’s common position on Jerusalem are a matter of serious concern and regret.” Stano also claimed that the EU had only been informed of the talk’s economic aspects prior to its taking place, but not about any movements in embassies or Israel-Palestine related negotiation. Vucic, who has since held a new round of talks with Kosovo PM in Brussels, has tried to mitigate criticism of Serbia’s actions at the White House saying that a final decision is yet to be made and will depend on “a number of factors,” which likely include pressure from the EU and allies Russia and China.
Meanwhile, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hopes Serbia and Kosovo’s actions will set a precedent for other European nations to deviate from the EU’s agenda and move their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem, worrying Muslim-majority nations in the region. As Kosovo is a Muslim-majority country itself, PM Hasim Thaci has attempted to reassure others like Turkey and Egypt on its moving of the embassy to Jerusalem, stating that “Such a recognition will not violate under any circumstances the strategic, friendly and fraternal partnership with Turkey,” and similar countries.
Despite Vucic’s and Thaci’s aims to reassure the international community of the validity and correctness of their actions, the agreements made on these issues in Washington will have great implications for relations between the United States, Russia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Israel. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is likely to benefit from the talks his administration hosted, as they are an opportunity for him to claim a diplomatic triumph ahead of November’s presidential elections and gain support from American supporters of Israel.
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