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Amid Impeachment Drama, Balkan Dispute Gets High-Level US Attention

Keida Kostreci

   While Washington obsesses about tensions with Iran and the impeachment
   trial of President Donald Trump, a pair of high-ranking administration
   officials has been crisscrossing Europe and the Western Balkans in
   pursuit of a solution to a dispute that most Americans havebarely
   noticed.

   The high-level focus on the quarrel between Serbia and its former
   province of Kosovo has left some analysts struggling to explain how the
   issue fits into a Trump administration foreign policy driven by crises
   in North Korea and Iran and defined by the slogan "America First."

   Trump himself has demonstrated a personal interest in the issue,
   tweeting approvingly on the eve of the impeachment trial's opening
   about the establishment of direct flights between the two countries:

     Everyone said it couldn't be done. But for the first time in a
     generation, there will be direct flights between Serbia and Kosovo.
     Another win. Thanks to [1]@WHNSC Ambassador Robert O'Brien and
     Ambassador [2]@RichardGrenell! [3]pic.twitter.com/0qSLryG96B
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [4]January 21, 2020

   Earlier this week, as U.S. senators argued over the ground rules for
   the impeachment trial, White House nationalsecurityadviserRobert
   O'Brien was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, meeting with the
   presidents of Serbia and Kosovo.

     Following [5]@realdonaldtrump's successful effort to broker a deal
     to open up air travel between Serbia and Kosovo, NSA Robert O'Brien
     had cordial meetings with Presidents Aleksandar VuÄiÄ and Hashim
     Thaçi on the sidelines of [6]#Davos. [7]pic.twitter.com/JHYSUQHNCq
     -- NSC (@WHNSC) [8]January 21, 2020

   U.S.Ambassador toGermanyRichard Grenell, who also serves as White House
   special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, has meanwhile been visiting
   the two countries' capitals -- Belgrade and Pristina -- urging
   officials to resume a dialogue on the normalization of relations and to
   focus on economic development.

   A third official, the State Department's special envoy to the Western
   Balkans, Matthew Palmer,has also been deeply involved in the diplomatic
   effort.

   Belgrade has never formally recognized Kosovo, which declared its
   independence from Serbia in 2008, and has campaigned to keep it out of
   international organizations,including Interpol. Kosovo has retaliated
   by imposing a 100percent tariff on all Serbian goods, which itsays will
   not be lifted until Serbia recognizes it as a country.

   In his meetings this week, Grenell urged both countries tocompromise.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/WHNSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://t.co/0qSLryG96B
   4. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1219433612753289216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   5. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   6. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Davos?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   7. https://t.co/JHYSUQHNCq
   8. https://twitter.com/WHNSC/status/1219731931471974401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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