The announcement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that the proposal for resolving the Kosovo issue will be completed in March has led to discussions in the Serbian state.
Diplomatic sources of the Serbian newspaper "Danas", one of the most reliable media in Serbia, said that this may be related to constitutional changes in Serbia.
This newspaper reports that a proposal for Kosovo would imply a change in the preamble of the Constitution in Serbia, which states that "Kosovo is part of Serbia" and that "has substantial autonomy within the sovereign Serbian state".
"Serbian authorities announced they would draft a new constitution that will be completed by the end of this year, which will be in line with EU requirements. A referendum is expected to be organized in the first three months of 2018, probably in March. For this reason, it is not surprising the Vucic's statement that the solution for Kosovo will be proposed in March, "Danas sources say.
Representatives of diplomatic circles have said that Belgrade and Pristina are facing increasing pressure from the international community in the next two or three years to reach an agreement that "should not include official recognition of Kosovo by Serbia".
"The agreement will include a compromise between Belgrade and Pristina in order for Kosovo to gain membership in international organizations, including the United Nations, in exchange for Serbia's non-recognition of Kosovo. This means that Serbia undertakes not to lobby or vote against Kosovo's membership in foreign organizations, just as Belgrade and Pristina pledged to 2013 Brussels Agreement that would not interfere with each other's interstate prospects . While Kosovo's politicians say publicly that Serbia needs the recognition of Kosovo, in informal talks it could be discussed that Kosovo's membership in international organizations would be an acceptable solution in exchange for non-recognition," sources from the Serbian newspaper reports.
Diplomatic sources of the Serbian newspaper "Danas", one of the most reliable media in Serbia, said that this may be related to constitutional changes in Serbia.
This newspaper reports that a proposal for Kosovo would imply a change in the preamble of the Constitution in Serbia, which states that "Kosovo is part of Serbia" and that "has substantial autonomy within the sovereign Serbian state".
However, as Danas writes, the preamble may remain but not Article 8 of the Constitution, which states that the territory of Serbia "is unique and indivisible, and the border is inviolable."
The sources also point out that Article 182 of the Constitution defining autonomy for Kosovo will be regulated by a separate law.
These parts should be changed as a necessary condition for Serbia's membership into the European Union."Serbian authorities announced they would draft a new constitution that will be completed by the end of this year, which will be in line with EU requirements. A referendum is expected to be organized in the first three months of 2018, probably in March. For this reason, it is not surprising the Vucic's statement that the solution for Kosovo will be proposed in March, "Danas sources say.
Representatives of diplomatic circles have said that Belgrade and Pristina are facing increasing pressure from the international community in the next two or three years to reach an agreement that "should not include official recognition of Kosovo by Serbia".
"The agreement will include a compromise between Belgrade and Pristina in order for Kosovo to gain membership in international organizations, including the United Nations, in exchange for Serbia's non-recognition of Kosovo. This means that Serbia undertakes not to lobby or vote against Kosovo's membership in foreign organizations, just as Belgrade and Pristina pledged to 2013 Brussels Agreement that would not interfere with each other's interstate prospects . While Kosovo's politicians say publicly that Serbia needs the recognition of Kosovo, in informal talks it could be discussed that Kosovo's membership in international organizations would be an acceptable solution in exchange for non-recognition," sources from the Serbian newspaper reports.