ALL DISPUTED SERBIAN BORDERS: Either solve them or no membership - statement from the European Union

It was clearly stated to Belgrade that Serbia has to have clearly defined borders in order to become a member of the EU. Strategy for the enlargement of the Union will be presented on 6th February for West Balkans, and the obligations of the countries which are on the way of becoming members will be represented. The question of Kosovo and Metohija is getting increasingly evident and it must be solved. However, even though that is still the most significant question, our country still has unsolved problems when it comes to defining borders.

Vucic presented Serbia's priorities: Peace and stability in the region, economic progress, and EU membership (PHOTO)

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- If someone wants to join in 2025 then we have to complete the negotiations until 2023. It takes a year to ratify the agreement of EU - said European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn.

Hahn is primarily concerned with the application of the rule of law alongside the tasks that must be done by candidates, and as a second condition, he said that the EU will certainly not accept the country that has any open disputes with its neighbors. 

Foto: Profimedia/Abaca

- Conflicts around the border, like between two members Slovenia and Croatia must not exist in the future of the Union. Of course, Serbia has to solve the situation around Kosovo. There are still open questions between Serbia and Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo, Albania and Greece - Hahn said.

This question important for Brussels comes from the imported conflict, the joining of divided Cyprus into a European family of nations, which later escalated and the problem of the former Yugoslav republics over the Piran Bay.

Kao što je Han naveo, Beograd opterećuje problem sa Prištinom i Zagrebom, ali i ono što je izostavio - Sarajevom.

Like Hahn said, Belgrade is troubled with the problem of Pristina with Zagreb, and also Sarajevo. 

BORDER WITH CROATIA

Prošlo je godinu i po dana otkako su Aleksandar Vučić, tada kao tehnički premijer, i Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, predsednica Hrvatske, u Subotici potpisali Deklaraciju o unapređenju odnosa Srbije i Hrvatske. Jedna od tački dokumenta podrazumeva i rešavanje spora oko granice na Dunavu, koja je dugačka 145 kilometara.

It has been a year since Aleksandar Vucic, the prime minister at the time, and Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, the president of Croatia, signed the declaration on the improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia in Subotica. One of the points of the documents states the solving of the dispute about the border on the Danube which is 145 km long. 

Foto: Tanjug/Tanja Valič

The inter-state commission for determining the borders of Serbia and Croatia was formed 13 years ago, but apart from the opinions on how to determine the border, nothing has been done. Members of the Commission changed after each election.

Predlog Srbije je da granična linija bude sredina Dunava, dok Hrvatska insistira na određivanju granice po katastru, koji nije menjan još od Austrougarske.

Serbia's proposition was to place the border line in the middle of Danube, while Croatia insisted on determining the border after cadastral boundary, which has not changed since the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

- Our approach is the most common in the world, while Zagreb's proposal implies that a part of the Croatian territory, on our side, will reach Apatin, while a smaller part from the Croatian side would come to us, as the Danube changed over the course in time - explains Alexander Popov , director of the Center for Regionalism.

Foto: www.mc.rs

This problem could ultimately be resolved before the international court because, according to the Declaration signed by Vucic and Kitarovic, both countries agreed that they are ready to bring their territorial dispute before international judicial institutions unless that problem is resolved by negotiations in reasonable time.

- The decision of the arbitration would be final and no one would have the right to complain about it - warns Popov.

However, he believes that Serbia would be in a worse position because Croatia is a member of the EU.

Foto: Google Maps

- We should have insisted on resolving this dispute before because it would have already come to a solution or the dispute would already have been arbitrated. This way, Croatia can use that as well as one of the reasons to block the opening of new chapters in EU membership negotiations - Popov concluded.

BORDER WITH BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), 335 kilometers long, is 97 percent determined, while the remaining three percent (40 kilometers) refer to four places:

1. at the hydroelectric power plant "Zvornik";

2. at the hydroelectric power plant Bajina Basta "on the Drina (these facilities belong to the Republika Srpska, but they are divided by the border which goes through the riverbed of Drina);

2. the village of Strpci in the municipality of Rudo (Belgrade-Bar railway at a length of 12 km passes through the territory of BiH);

4. villages of Medjurecje and Sastavci, between the municipalities of Priboj in Serbia and Rudno in BiH (territory of about 400 hectares belonging to BiH, but surrounded on all sides by the territory of Serbia).

Foto: Google Maps, pixabay.com

Although the Serb and Croat members of the BiH Presidency are ready for an agreement, however, the Bosniak member of the collective head of the neighboring state, does not want to discuss the two points, even though it is a dialogue.

- Serbia has four demands, and two of them are not open for discussion. One of them passes to this side of Drina and to give the part between the two hydroelectric power plants to Serbia. That is impossible. We have a question of railway crossing going to Bar and some unclear positions on Lim near Rudno, we can discuss that, but with compensation. We will see what they ask, what they offer, and to eventually find some solution to all four requests - Bakir Izetbegovic said.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

Although there were announcements that the problem of the border between Serbia and BiH would be solved until the end of the year, despite the visit of the Presidency of our Western neighbors to Belgrade, the solution did not come.

- We gave suggestions to our friends. The model is such a non-paper, it seemed to me that we received a principle consent in Sarajevo when we were ... We would like to have a hydroelectric power plant Zvornik and Bajina Basta as a whole on the territory of Serbia - said Vucic on December 6 last year.

In return, we are prepared to give four, actually 19 hectares of land in another place, wherever BiH wants it. However, Vucic said that the BiH presidency had a different suggestion, in terms of the status of these power plants, and we will still discuss it.

Foto: Tanjug/Dimitrije Goll

As for the municipalities of Priboj and Rudno, the exchange would be "meter for meter" - Vucic said.

- Belgrade-Bar railway is important for us around Strpce. We would take that and offer the same area in square meters, not in square kilometers, to the Bosnian side on our territory and those are places Sastavci-Kronoge - Vucic said.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA 

However, the main question is Kosovo and Metohija. The president is aware of that.

- They won't allow us to enter the European Union with unsolved border issues - president Vucic said on Monday.

- How are we going to solve it, that is another thing. We want to solve it or not? People will certainly have to say what they think about it on some referendum - Vucic said the talk show "Cirilica".

Printskrin: TV Happy

The President noted that the new French ambassador said what was already known - that Serbia would have to make a legally binding agreement with Kosovo, which foresees that the border issue had been resolved. 

According to the announcements, in accordance with the EU Strategy, which should be presented at the beginning of February, the deadline for resolving this issue is 2019.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

Vucic said himself that he won't run away from saying that is the least bad solution:

-Because there is no good solution - said the Serbian president and added that he will say what he thinks in two or two and a half months, and if the people don't agree with him, that will be the defeat of his politics.

(Telegraf.co.uk)