Serbia Hopes For EU Membership (Or How Big A Carrot Does The EU Have For Serbia?)

Bozidar Djelic, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister, is confident that his country will make “the biggest progress” toward European Union membership in the next 13 months.  With the issues of Gen. Ratko Mladic and Kosovo still looming large, one must think that Bozidar Djelic is transmitting his reports from his home on Jupiter to think his country is making [...]

Another Round Of Talks On Kosovo Status Gets Nowhere (Or Let The Fingerpointing Continue)

Guess what, ladies and gentleman, another round of talks on Kosovo status goes nowhere, according to Itar Tass, the official news agency of Russia (http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/).  It seems again to be an exercise in “Who’s on First?”  Serbs:  autonomy; Kosovo: independence.  Is everyone in the same room?  Moveover Fox News, meet Itar Tass, the epitome of what “fair [...]

Kurti: Freedom to Drink Coffee?

The saga that is Albin Kurti continues.  In an interesting article published by Vetevendosje, of which many think Albin Kurti is the leader of, the group attacks the ruling keeping Kurti in house detention.  According to the group, the new conditions of his house arrest, which allows for free movement outside the house from 10:00 [...]

Kosovo says tow-may-toe; Serbia says tow-mah-toe

The maxim that every reader of a press report learns at an early age is:  check your source.  In that regard, it is interesting to see the differences in the way the Kosovars and Serbs report the same news events.  Which side is correct?  Or does the truth lie somewhere in middle?
The Kosovar view (Koha [...]

Russia to U.S.: Get Real!

Not surprisingly, Russia and Serbia are walking in lockstep against Kosovo independence.  There are several camps explaining why Russia has taken this position.  Some, like Richard Holbrooke, argue that Russia is trying to “regain ground lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031200972.html) (see also “Why Russia Opposes Intervention in Kosovo at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/111585.stm).  Others claim that by supporting Serbia, they are fighting by proxy their own [...]