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    Elite Purges: Internal Conflict or External Design?

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    Crisis-Born, Purpose-Seeking: Can the EPC Define Europe’s Strategic Future?

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    Promoting Arab Culture and Language in the Framework of Cultural Diversity and Dialogue.

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    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    The Conclusion of the Diplomatic Mission / Ambassador Dancho Markovski: Strengthening Albania-North Macedonia Relations for a Shared European Future

    A Century of Diplomatic Relations Between Albania and Russia: Exclusive Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Albania, H.E. Alexey Zaytsev

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    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

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    Geopolitical equation with several unknowns!

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    Chancellor Merz passed “the exam”! Political stupidity! 5 per cent or study Russian! The Firing East!      

    A top phone call as disappointment! Exit from Brexit! Germany at the helm! End this political shame up!

    That’s it! The quartet of hope! Shame on Kosovo! The Summit of a Community without Identity!

    Only praises and prolises for Meloni! Facts versus untruths! Immediate ceasefire and genuine peace, no deal for new occupation! Back after 60 years !

    US nuclear tariff bomb!! Europa fires back! NATO ok, but with or without Article 5? Kallas urges reforms!

    Europe riarmed! Germany’s epochal shift! Spoiled soup! EU Commissioner Kos demands reforms!

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    “Council of Albanian Ambassadors condemns Gaza operation, calls for two-state solution”

    Alaska, a bell toll for Europe! No trade partners but adversaries! Palestina and the two states solution! When Pristina drowns in a spoonful of water!

    The Americans In, the Russians Down, and the Iranians Out: The Regional Impact of the Armenia- Azerbaijan Peace Agreement

    How Belgrade Keeps the Serb Community in Kosovo Under Political Control

    President Aliyev gives an interview to Azerbaijani media: US-Azerbaijan open new chapter of strategic partnership 

    International recognition of Palestine: Political marketing or genuine change?

    Visit to the Council of American Ambassadors Headquarters.

    “This Is Genocide”: Albanian Journalists Call for Urgent Government Action for Gaza

    Kremlin says Azerbaijan, Russia have entered ‘difficult period’ in bilateral ties

  • Top News

    “Council of Albanian Ambassadors condemns Gaza operation, calls for two-state solution”

    Zelensky in Brussels: A ceasefire and clear security guarantees are needed for Ukraine

    Visit to the Council of American Ambassadors Headquarters.

    China looks forward to Europe viewing bilateral ties in a comprehensive, dialectical, and developing manner: Chinese FM spokesperson

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    NATO allies agree to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2035

    Reza Pahlavi: “This Is Our Berlin Wall Moment” — Exiled Prince Calls for Global Support as Iran Nears Regime Collapse

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

    Russia Proposes Second Round of Ukraine Peace Talks in Istanbul on June 2

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  • Home
  • OP/ED

    The world goes on as usual – unpredictably

    Palestine is decisive for peace in Middle East!

    Azerbaijan dismisses claims of involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

    Elite Purges: Internal Conflict or External Design?

    Trump’s Threat of U.S. Intervention in Iran Exposes Roots of Critics’ Fears

    Crisis-Born, Purpose-Seeking: Can the EPC Define Europe’s Strategic Future?

    Serbia’s Request to the ICJ Turned Resolution 1244 into a Closed Chapter and Kosovo’s Independence into an Internationally Recognized Reality

    Unpredictable world

    Promoting Arab Culture and Language in the Framework of Cultural Diversity and Dialogue.

  • Interview

    “Diplomacy, Not War”: Palestinian Ambassador to Albania Calls for Justice, Peace, and Global Action for Gaza

    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    The Conclusion of the Diplomatic Mission / Ambassador Dancho Markovski: Strengthening Albania-North Macedonia Relations for a Shared European Future

    A Century of Diplomatic Relations Between Albania and Russia: Exclusive Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Albania, H.E. Alexey Zaytsev

    Exclusive/ The chairman of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta: “The will of the citizens will triumph in Albania, as it did in North Macedonia”

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

  • Realpolitik

    Alaska, a bell toll for Europe! No trade partners but adversaries! Palestina and the two states solution! When Pristina drowns in a spoonful of water!

    Geopolitical equation with several unknowns!

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    Chancellor Merz passed “the exam”! Political stupidity! 5 per cent or study Russian! The Firing East!      

    A top phone call as disappointment! Exit from Brexit! Germany at the helm! End this political shame up!

    That’s it! The quartet of hope! Shame on Kosovo! The Summit of a Community without Identity!

    Only praises and prolises for Meloni! Facts versus untruths! Immediate ceasefire and genuine peace, no deal for new occupation! Back after 60 years !

    US nuclear tariff bomb!! Europa fires back! NATO ok, but with or without Article 5? Kallas urges reforms!

    Europe riarmed! Germany’s epochal shift! Spoiled soup! EU Commissioner Kos demands reforms!

  • Current Events

    “Council of Albanian Ambassadors condemns Gaza operation, calls for two-state solution”

    Alaska, a bell toll for Europe! No trade partners but adversaries! Palestina and the two states solution! When Pristina drowns in a spoonful of water!

    The Americans In, the Russians Down, and the Iranians Out: The Regional Impact of the Armenia- Azerbaijan Peace Agreement

    How Belgrade Keeps the Serb Community in Kosovo Under Political Control

    President Aliyev gives an interview to Azerbaijani media: US-Azerbaijan open new chapter of strategic partnership 

    International recognition of Palestine: Political marketing or genuine change?

    Visit to the Council of American Ambassadors Headquarters.

    “This Is Genocide”: Albanian Journalists Call for Urgent Government Action for Gaza

    Kremlin says Azerbaijan, Russia have entered ‘difficult period’ in bilateral ties

  • Top News

    “Council of Albanian Ambassadors condemns Gaza operation, calls for two-state solution”

    Zelensky in Brussels: A ceasefire and clear security guarantees are needed for Ukraine

    Visit to the Council of American Ambassadors Headquarters.

    China looks forward to Europe viewing bilateral ties in a comprehensive, dialectical, and developing manner: Chinese FM spokesperson

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    NATO allies agree to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2035

    Reza Pahlavi: “This Is Our Berlin Wall Moment” — Exiled Prince Calls for Global Support as Iran Nears Regime Collapse

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

    Russia Proposes Second Round of Ukraine Peace Talks in Istanbul on June 2

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Home ENGLISH

Kosovo and Serbia take a small but important step forwards

8 January, 2024
in ENGLISH, English OP/ED
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Kosovo and Serbia remain far from agreeing a long-term deal that would see Belgrade recognise Prishtina’s independence, but a seemingly minor agreement on car license plates is a welcome step forward.

Since January 1, Kosovars have been able to visit the European Union visa-free. Kosovo was the only remaining country in the Western Balkans whose citizens still required visas to enter the bloc.

The European Commission confirmed Kosovo met the requirements to secure visa-free travel to the EU in 2018, but the European Council had blocked the approval process over the concerns of some member states.

Five EU countries—Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Romania—do not recognise Kosovo’s independence. France and the Netherlands meanwhile had expressed concerns about migration.

Between 2018 and 2021, 268,846 Kosovans applied for EU visas—the average cost of which is 165 euros—but only 20,040 were granted.

Spain had been the last holdout in agreeing to the new rules, but on January 6 Kosovo’s deputy prime minister, Besnik Bislimi, welcomed a decision by Madrid to recognise Kosovar passports. A document published the previous day on the website of the European Commission’s Department for Migration and Home Affairs said that from January 1, Spain recognises ordinary passports issued by Kosovo.

However, the document also made it clear that, “This does not imply in any form formal recognition of Kosovo as an independent state”.

The new rules allow citizens of Kosovo to travel visa-free within the 27-country Schengen zone for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The new regulations are intended for tourism and personal travel and do not include permission to work.

A welcome step forward

There was also a welcome development last week that saw Kosovo and Serbia defuse a dispute over the recognition of each other’s car license plates, a move that has been hailed as a welcome step forward after years of tension between Belgrade and Prishtina that has at times escalated into violence in areas of Kosovo populated by Serbs.

On January 5, Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, said that his country would allow vehicles registered in Serbia to enter, following a similar move by Belgrade last month.

Until now, vehicles from either Kosovo or Serbia could cross the border only if they placed stickers on their license plates to hide the respective state symbols. The deal marks the formal implementation of an agreement first signed between the two countries in 2011.

“Respecting each other’s sovereignty is the key to making people’s lives easier instead of pretexts for aggression,” said Kurti, who added, “We will now allow Serbian license plates to enter Kosovo without stickers, just as Kosovo plates can freely enter Serbia.”

Serb authorities later made it clear that recognition of Kosovo license plates is not recognition of the country’s independence. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Serbia continues to claim sovereignty over its former province.

The long road to a formal recognition deal

While the license plate issue initially appears minor, it has led to violent clashes over the past three years in north Kosovo—populated primarily by Serbs who refuse to recognise the administration in Prishtina.

In 2021, Serb protesters blocked all roads in and out of north Kosovo in a stand-off ended only by the deployment of KFOR forces, the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

The European Union welcomed the agreement by Kosovo and Serbia to formally recognise each other’s vehicle license plates and fully abolish the sticker regime.

“This decision is a positive step in the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, as well as past Dialogue commitments related to Freedom of Movement,” the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said in a statement.

Borrell said the decision demonstrates that progress towards normalisation of relations is possible.

“This also constitutes a step in the right direction towards better regional and European integration of the Western Balkans, which ultimately benefits the citizens of the region,” he said.

But the road to a definitive deal between the two countries remains long.

Talks are currently stalled over Kurti’s objections to the creation of a Community of Serb Municipalities in north Kosovo, a key part of any long-term deal that might eventually normalise relations between Serbia and Kosovo

Kosovo and Serbia had previously agreed to form a Community of Serb Municipalities as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement to allow Kosovo’s Serb minority to collectively develop policy regarding their economic development, education, health, and urban and rural planning. Kosovo, however, has not yet implemented that part of the 2013 agreement, with Kurti making frequent statements questioning its constitutionality./emerging-europe/

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