Slovakia's reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence

BRATISLAVA - In an exclusive interview for Tanjug, Slovak PM Robert Fico said on Thursday his country saw no reason to recognise the so-called Kosovo.

Fico said Slovakia was a small country adhering to the principle that small countries that did not resolve their problems by military means could rely only on international law.

He also said that the only question is whether Kosovo wants to wait for Euro-Atlantic integration until Prime Minister Albin Kurti fulfills his obligation. Escobar emphasized that "Kosovo must now move as a matter of urgency", and indicated that the establishment of the CSM is an international, legal, undertaken obligation.

During his address to the journalists, he also talked about the allegations about his state of health and pointed out that when there is something important about it, it will be announced through the Office for Media Relations of the President.
He referred to the recent tensions in the southern province, i.e. the provocations from Pristina.

BELGRADE - In a comment on Pristina's EU membership bid, the Foreign Ministry of Slovakia says any change in Bratislava's position on the self-declared independence of the so-called Kosovo will depend on normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations.

Slovakia does not recognise the so-called Kosovo.

Serbia and Kosovo have reached an agreement to ease the situation on their border, an EU official confirmed on Thursday.

"We have a deal!," Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, announced on Twitter.

Washington hopes EU countries "understand" that the Western Balkans should be part of Europe "full stop" and is worried about the weak message coming from European capitals, the newly appointed department of state official responsible for the region said on Monday (13 September).

Kosovo's Principal Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, called on the head of the Slovak Liaison Office in Pristina, Rastislav Kostilnik, to recognize the independence of Kosovo in Bratislava, Ekonomija online reports.
Bislimi called on Slovakia to join the group of EU countries that recognize Kosovo.

Reciprocity replaces 100 pct tariff

Under Saturday's decision, Kosovo's Food and Veterinary Agency is now obliged to use the emblem and name 'Republic of Kosovo' on all sanitary and veterinary certificates, while economic operators from Serbia must now obtain an entry permit from Kosovo's Liaison Office in Serbia for each vehicle transporting goods entering Kosovo.

The agency said it was announced by Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic, who is on an official visit to the country.
Yesterday, Serbian President indicated that another withdrawal of Kosovo's recognition of independence was soon to follow, saying in Washington that "new withdrawals of Kosovo's recognition are expected in the next few days."

The Serbian authorities' negative attitude towards Kosovo "makes Kosovo Serbs be perceived as anti-state elements" inside the country, Agon Maliqi, a political analyst from Pristina, told BIRN in an interview.

Until relations between Belgrade and Pristina are normalised, this situation will continue, warned Maliqi, the editor of S-Bunker, a political analysis and opinion website.