Kosovo issue may not be resolved in 2019: Serbia

By Bojana Stojanovic

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday he doubted that the Kosovo issue will be resolved in 2019.

Dacic held a news conference at the Foreign Ministry, where he evaluated goals and expectations of Serbia in 2019.

Recalling that the mandate of the EU High Representative for Foreign Relations and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will end in 2019, Dacic said, "My hope is that the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue process continues in a strong manner."

Dacic said they were open to any proposal that would make a compromise between the two sides, adding that if the U.S. was involved in the process, Serbia would demand Russia be also included.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade insists the country remains part of Serbia. Since then, tensions have persisted between Kosovo’s ethnic-Albanian majority and a small Serb minority in the north.

Kosovo’s independence is recognized by over 100 countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Turkey.

Serbia, Russia, and China are among the countries which have not yet recognized its independence.