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Vucic Expresses ‘Deep Gratitude’ To Putin As Serbian, Russian Leaders Meet At Kremlin

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for protecting Serbia’s national interests, as the two leaders met for the second time in Moscow this year.

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“I would like to express my deep gratitude to you personally, Mr. President, for your firm position aimed at protecting international law and the crucial national and state interests of Serbia,” Vucic told Putin at the Kremlin on October 2, according to TASS news agency.

The meeting comes amid continued tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008.

Kosovo’s independence has been recognized by more than 100 countries, but not by Serbia or Russia.

Belgrade and Pristina in 2013 committed to EU-mediated talks to resolve their differences, but little progress has been made.

Speaking at the start of his meeting with Putin, the Serbian president said the situation in the Western Balkans was “very difficult” and that Serbia had been facing “numerous provocations on an everyday basis.”

“Despite our intention to reach compromises and maintain peace and stability, we are very far from making any agreement on the issue of Kosovo,” he also said.

Meanwhile in Geneva, Kosovar President Hashim Thaci said there was a small chance of a border deal with Serbia emerging soon, and he warned that a failure to seize the opportunity to reach a “historic agreement” could lead to another decade of “frozen conflict.”

Putin and Vucic were expected to discuss ways to further develop bilateral relations, as well as tensions in the Balkans, the Kremlin has said.

Vucic has said he intended to ask for support from the Russian president on “the situation in Kosovo.”

Speaking to TASS after two hours of talks with Putin, Vucic expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting.

“We got everything that we looked for. We agreed on everything,” he said, without providing any details.

Vucic was last met Putin in May in Moscow, where he attended celebrations marking the anniversary of Germany’s defeat in World War II.

Long a nationalist, he has remade himself as a pro-European Union reformer while seeking to maintain good relations with traditional ally Russia as well.

Russia May Recognise Kosovo, UK Expert Says

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1 russia2Photo: Mary Dejevsky, a former Moscow and Washington correspondent and now Guardian writer and member of the UK’s Chatham House think tank/Leading expert on Russia in UK says Moscow might recognise Kosovo as part of a grand re-set of America-Russia relations.

One of Britain’s most respected experts and commentators on Russia has floated the prospect of Russia recognising Kosovo’s independence as part of a wider agreement between Washington and Moscow, once Donald Trump takes the reins as US President.Mary Dejevsky, a former Moscow and Washington correspondent and now Guardian writer and member of the UK’s Chatham House think tank, raised the idea in Britain’s Catholic Tablet magazine in its January 21 edition, reflecting on the possible consequences of a successful Trump-Putin meeting in the near future.Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon after his inauguration and put US-Russian ties on a new footing.

Dejevsky, who regularly meets Kremlin leaders through the Valdai Group, which meets Russian officials each autumn, suggested Moscow could recognise Kosovo as part of a package aimed at closing down various post-Cold War diplomatic issues that have dogged relations between the powers.In the article, Dejevsky described Trump as a deal maker who would soon size up whether the Russian leader was serious about an agreement, and would walk away and make other arrangements if he felt misled.However, Dejevsky said Putin was investing heavily in making a deal with the new US Administration work, and was unlikely to let the opportunity slip, as it would damage his domestic standing.

Russia has staunchly opposed recognition of Kosovo, a former province of its close ally Serbia that broke away with Western military help in 1999 and declared full independence in 2008.Most Western countries, starting with the US, long ago recognised its statehood, but Serbia, Russia, China, five EU member states and many other countries have not. Non-recognisers include most countries in Central and Latin America and Asia and about half of the states in Africa.

The pace of recognitions has also slowed in recent years; last year saw only two, Surinam and Singapore. Altogether, about 110 of the 193 member states of the UN have granted recognition.While Russian recognition would be hailed as a great breakthrough in Kosovo, it would come as a great shock to Russia’s historic ally, Serbia. Belgrade has vowed never to accept Kosovo’s statehood and continues to claim Kosovo as an integral part of its national territory, although it has agreed to “normalise” relations with Kosovo under EU auspices.