Ambassador Ferguson: There is no easy solution to the Kosovo issue

The Ambassador of Great Britain in Belgrade, Edward Ferguson, says that the situation in Balakan is fragile and adds that everyone hoped for positive progress in the negotiation process between Pristina and Belgrade, but instead, only tensions were seen, Kurir reports.

In an interview for that newspaper, Ferguson pointed out that Great Britain was closely following the events in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina and added that Serbia had a special responsibility to work on peace and security because as the largest economy in the region, it had the most to lose in the event of instability and conflict.

"It is a very frustrating situation. Just a few months earlier, in March, President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti reached an agreement to normalize relations between Belgrade and Pristina. We fully supported the negotiation process under the auspices of the EU and the US. We all hoped that up to now we would have seen some concrete, positive steps forward that would help reduce tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Instead, we have seen rising tensions, which have led to serious injuries to members of KFOR units, who everyone agrees are acting fairly and uniformly. This is completely unacceptable. Those responsible for this must be held accountable, and the governments in Belgrade and Pristina must work harder to calm the situation," Ferguson explains.

The British Ambassador added that there was no easy solution to the Kosovo issue.

"Obviously, there is no easy answer, but it will ultimately require hard choices and a willingness to compromise. As a negotiator, I think it's important to put yourself in the position of the other side. For the people of Kosovo, that means accepting that Serbia has legitimate concerns for the safety of Serbian communities in northern Kosovo and the protection of Serbian cultural heritage. For the people of Serbia, this means accepting that Kosovo is home to 1.7 million Albanians who do not want to be a part of Serbia. With understanding comes trust, and with trust, a compromise can be reached," Ferguson says.

Regarding the statements of the British member of parliament and the President of the Foreign Policy Committee of the British Parliament, Alicia Kearns, that the Serbian Orthodox Church was involved in the smuggling of weapons from Serbia to Kosovo, Ferguson said that everyone had the right to express their personal views, adding that the views of Kearns did not represent the official views of the British Government.

"KFOR has confirmed that they had no evidence that the Serbian Orthodox Church was involved in the smuggling of weapons from Serbia to Kosovo, and neither do we," Ferguson concluded.