by Zoran Petrov for The Saker Blog
UPDATE!
Although I tried to predict possible outcomes from White House meeting, the results were more then a surprise! What is obvious from 2 (or 3 days) summit is that stakes of the actual three party meeting were different from those involving Belgrade-Pristina.
Thanks to coming presidential elections in US, Serbia managed to get some concessions that were impossible before (see images from proposed document as well documents signed by Albanians). But there was a price to pay for!
Vucic had rough ride in America mainly because he managed successfully to blackmail US counterparts.
From what is public information, we know that “mutual recognition” was off the proposed agreement. Despite “heroic” battles it is now clear, that “mutual recognition” was just a smoke screen that poor Pristina took it for real! The whole event was for Trump and it served his election campaign. Question of recognition of Jerusalem by the first EU country (Serbia) is important achievement for his evangelist and Jewish voters. Maybe this summit was ignored by major media but it was followed by religious TV and radio shows. The same is for Hezbollah issue.
Vucic paid humiliating price for taking advantage of situation (now famous sitting in the small chair in front of Trump) and blackmailing for changes in an agreement by stopping short of excluding Russia as supplier of gas and China from supplying 5G equipment to Serbia!
Another small revenge was change in text in regard to Jerusalem, by US side that caught Vucic by surprise when Trump announced it on press conference.
What we don´t know is what was real discussion between two delegations, especially between Vucic and Pompeo? What we know for sure, thanks to Vucic lapsus, that there were discussion about who will control sky above Kosovo. After NATO occupation of Kosovo, NATO controlled airspace above Kosovo. That space is divided in upper layer (above 8700 meters) and lower one (up to 8700 meters). In 2014 NATO transferred the authority to control the upper layer to the Hungarian Flight Control. It seems that Serbia was trying to get that control from NATO but obviously talks are not concluded yet. It is of paramount importance to mention that Serbia will, based on this agreement get rail access to deep water port in Albania (Durres -Serbia unsuccessfully tried to purchase port in Bar, Montenegro some years ago). It seems that interesting times are coming!
I wish I could share Petrov’s optimism about what just happened. I might be totally wrong, but to me what Vucic represents in a wholesale sellout of the interests of the Serbian people. In fact, it seems to me that both Vucic and Djukanovic are but the Serbian version of Eltsin or Iushchenko: traitors to their people. As for Kosovo, this is my take on how it will be liberated:
/kosovo-will-be-liberated/
Still, I am grateful to Zoran Petrov for offering a different perspective on these issues.
Kind regards
The Saker
Vucic’s reaction to Trump’s announcement that Serbia would move its embassy to Jerusalem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVttu6-vf2g
It looks like he was taken totally by surprise. However, there is probably no date set and the Serbs could possibly say they will move it at the same time they set up their embassy to Palestine in Jerusalem.
The US has also humiliated Vucic, in the same way the Israelis humiliated the Turkish ambassador folllowing the deliberate murder by the IDF of a Turkish-American boy on the Mavi Marmara.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EhLskS9XYAEK45F?format=jpg&
“However, there is probably no date set and the Serbs could possibly say they will move it at the same time they set up their embassy to Palestine in Jerusalem.”
The only clause in which a specific date is being given for Serbia to fulfill the obligations it agreed to is the clause mentioning the transfer of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
To quote the clause in question:
“Serbia (Belgrade) agrees to open a commercial office, and a ministry of state offices, in Jerusalem on September 20, 2020, and move its embassy to Jerusalem by July 1st, 2021.”
The whole text of the Serbian version of the agreement it available (in English) on this link: http://www.nspm.rs/dokumenti/tekst-sporazuma-o-ekonomskoj-normalizaciji-odnosa-srbije-i-kosova.html
As most of the time (no-one is perfect), Saker is right.
Quote from Zoran’s aticle.
It is of paramount importance to mention that Serbia will, based on this agreement get rail access to deep water port in Albania.
End quote.
So, Serbia will develop this strategic port access point in a 100% enemy territory controlled by organ-opiates-people-sex-slave traffickers and their NATO bosses? Is that smart?
Agree – good luck with that!
Glad you mentioned “businesses”. It’s a big money there. My 5 cents – this entire charade has something to do with forthcoming US elections. As the “businesses” belong entirely to the so called swamp creatures, its’ safe to assume that Trump is trying to cut them off their supplies before November. Why would he otherwise bother with Serbia and Kosovo in the midst of riots, dirty campaign, pandemic and many other issues if not to weaken the position of his opponents? Kosovo is their soft belly, still.
How is he going to accomplish that, I don’t know. But we’ve seen nothing yet.
Ah… but if it is reversed..USA has got a deep water port through its proxy Albania to Serbia…..much quicker than going to northern Baltic ports or to be part of a pincer movement with them…..avoids problems with Germany Austria and that area…backs up a position with Nato Greece against irksome Turkey….opens the way through to the eastern Balkans …..
….You could say that Primakov’s u-turn marked the end of an era in which Russia still harbored some naïve hopes that her western partners were not gangsters and thugs. One more thing: Primakov was *exactly* the kind of Russian deep-state actor which could have played a key role in the process of succession to Eltsin…..
Let’s not lie to Saker …… the problem is that the Serbs still do not have a sincere ally in the Russian leadership, but a trade partner with the West. It is hypocritical to say that the current attitude of the Russian leadership is fair and sovereign towards Serbia. Either towards Syria, or towards Libya, etc. Russia has its own interests, and the Serbs, as an stuborn independent people, as history shows, have no allies. Maybe like one of the Russian Gubernias or part of the Holy Roman Empire or part of the Dzamahiriya Caliphate yes. But as a souveren nation, no. Maybe once, but especially not today in the world of globalism.
The Saker
According to Zoran Petrov, Serbia is the first EU country to relocate it’s embassy to Jerusalem. I was not aware that Serbia was part of the EU. When did that happen ?
It didn’t. Serbia is not EU member.
Mr. Petrov has eaten one too many SNS sandwiches which does tend to cloud one’s judgement. What the Serbian delegation (Vucic) gained from this meeting was a PEN!
No no, you are exactly right. I don’t really follow why you would appreciate Zorans ‘angle’, but ok.
Greetings from Belgrade.
За Крст часни и Слободу златну!
Yandex translation. Mod:
For the cross of Honor and freedom of gold!
Golden freedom!
Yes, the Washington trip was a huge success, Serbia could get access to the airspace above 9000m over Kosovo for their airliners. Imagine that, but that is not even 100% guaranteed. Perhaps if Serbia admits Kosovo to the UN, maybe then Serbia can get airspace access 9000m over her own territory. A huge success indeed. Not to mention moving Serbia’s Israel embassy to Jerusalem in exchange for Israeli recognition of Kosovo which will trigger more recognitions. A huge success indeed. LOL
“Thanks to coming presidential elections in the US, Serbia managed to get some concessions that were impossible before.”
Nowhere in the treaty can we see what exactly those concessions are. The protection of Serbian Orthodox Church property and sights in Kosovo is mentioned nowhere. What is specifically mention is the restitution of Jewish property from the WWII era, but it’s already happening and has been happening for years.
In fact, the author has done everything to ignore the most deleterious consequences of the treaty:
– Serbia has agreed to cave in to the US on almost all fronts. In regards to, in effect, blocking future Chinese infrastructure and sharing of technology. Diversification of gas supply, again, may in effect result in reducing dependence on Russian gas, and Serbia joining Israel’s East-Med gas pipeline via Greece. It’s a direct rival of Russian South Stream and the US has been trying for years to sabotage it by pressuring Bulgaria to sabotage it and forcibly dragging Macedonia into NATO. Removing Serbia from the equation would cause more problems for Russians and the Turks.
– Serbia has implicitly recognized Kosovo as a sovereign country. Previously they at least maintained the illusion of not agreeing to Kosovo’s independence by demanding that it be represented with an asterisk in its name.
– By agreeing to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Serbia has broken a number of UN resolutions, including the UN General Assembly resolution from 2017, when Serbia had voted in favor of denouncing the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as null and void. Thereby, Serbia undermines its own position and Resolution 1244, the last barrier between the fully recognized statehood of Kosovo.
– Barely a day after his shameful humiliation in the Oval Office, Vucic has unleashed an unprecedented torrent of insults at Maria Zakharova calling her primitive and rude and added her ‘primitivism and rudeness tells a lot not just about her, but those who appointed her.’
A number of state officials and his party goons have also insulted Russia, almost in the manner of the Ukrofascists.
Lastly, we have all reasons to consider Vucic a blackmailed man who exhibits signs of a mental breakdown and a number of other psychological problems.
My problem with the apologists, or sympathizers of Vucic, or those who at least tend to be overly optimistic about Serbia’s prospects under his absolute rule, is that what they seem to advocate makes fine rhetoric, but Vucic does his best to make the worst possible moves.
What we have witnessed in the Oval Office is an unprecedented humiliation of one country. He, as a representative of his country, has been treated as a beggar, and to add insult to injury they used him as a doormat to obtain the first European country to have an embassy in Jerusalem, thereby creating a precedent.
He and his team were not even allowed to take pictures on the White House lawn but did it in a nearby park.
Removing Serbia from the South Stream equation would not cause problems to Russia but primarily to Serbia itself, because the South Stream would make Serbia an important hub in Europe.
The Israeli pipeline on the other hand goes through Greece, Albania to Italy and bypassing Serbia.
Vucic denies he annulled Serbian participation in South Stream, but Merkel is about to annul the North Stream II after the Navalny excuse. She has to annul the North Stream II because the US is not guaranteeing protection for Germany anymore and Germany/EU failed to conquer Belarus which would have placed Russia in a German/EU/NATO chokehold while sucking away resources from Russia.Germany was always the economic wing in Europe and USA was the military wing in Europe, the US provided Germany with protection. Merkel does not want the EU to be dependent on Russia without EU/NATO expansion to the east and without US protection for Germany. Germany does not want to be in a situation where they could be a target of the anglo-saxons and russians (like the years up to WWI and WWII).
Though, the USA could arguably offer to Serbia to join the pipeline on the condition of abandoning the South Stream and reducing dependence on Russian gas. Not an entirely unimaginable scenario at this moment. With Macedonia being a NATO member, it might as well happen during this decade.
You do not understand the US Israeli pipeline is not going to make Serbia a hub, only a potential customer. If Serbia annuls the South Stream they will lose a lot of revenue as a hub for Russian gas.
Indeed, but it doesn’t make a difference for the US, and there’s no one to defend Serbian interest anyway. Who will care? The moment Serbia turns its back on Russia and finishes legalizing Kosovo’s independence, it will be dragged into NATO and South Stream will become anathema.
Mairon,
do you have a theory as to why the US decided to humiliate Vucic in this way ? It seems he totally capitulated to US demands. Why then would the US make a show of contempt in this way ?
I’m trying to make sense of it as I don’t understand why the US would make such a demonstration of disdain for a seemingly compliant vassal ?
It is an American thing to dominate in international relations. It is Vucic that is willing to be dominated, he thinks he will get respected this way.
Using someone for your dirty work doesn’t mean you respect him. I believe most of us here are well-aware of the fact that American vassals often end up worse than American enemies.
Moreover, Vucic is something we in Serbia would call ‘konvertit’ a term initially referring to people who converted from one religion to another, but in the broadest sense means anyone who has a complete change of heart, abandoning everything he held dear before to adopt the very things he used to oppose. Therefore, Americans can’t trust him, an ex-radical who proclaimed that the Serbian parliament was a safe house for Ratko Mladic.
It wouldn’t be the first time Vucic had been openly humiliated, nor the worst. At the World War I anniversary celebration in Paris, Vucic was relegated to stand in the last row with leaders of minor countries who had little or no involvement in the war effort, while Thaci stood right next to Putin. A very open, cynical, and shameless humiliation of our French allies, not of Vucic but of the whole Serbian people and hundreds of thousands of soldiers who perished in that war.
Perhaps it may be that Trump had no particular wish to humiliate Vucic, rather his way of dealing with countries he couldn’t care less about and which don’t deserve any better treatment. The PM of Montenegro, a true puppet, suffered worse treatment when Trump shoved him aside at a NATO summit.
Mairon,
thanks for that. Vucic should beware submitting this kind of public humiliation. Leaders who can be made to look ridiculous in the eyes of their own people, usually don’t last long.
As a Serb who knows many Jews (and their American puppets) I think it’s in their psychopathic ‘culture’ to escalate any attack whenever they see their prey/victim is particularly weak.
The weaker you seem -the more they want to humiliate and destroy you
A Chinese friend who works for a medical startup in Singapore told me he had the same impression when dealing with these people
To normal non-psycho people it makes no sense – but they have different way of thinking (more similar to predatory savages)
This so called “agreement” is a completely useless piece of paper. Why everyone is so bent on over-analyzing it is beyond me.
Why is everyone bent on it?
Perhaps Vucic’s willingness to adhere to the already signed acts of betrayal such as the Brussels Agreements where he agreed and effectively shut down almost all remnants of Serbian sovereignty especially pseudo-security forces that existed there from day one of the NATO/terrorist occupation which were a pillar of safety for the Serbs there.
I thought it was a huge victory for Serbia, in the words of our President, who bragged about the treaty on all the media he controls. Or he’s a genius who had played both the Americans and Israelis by agreeing to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
He was just joking, no big a deal.
You are mistaking me for someone who cares about what politicians publicly brag about.
You’re beside the point. It was not the bragging, it was his signature on a treaty before the whole world to see. Those looking for excuses will always find them, no matter what.
I hereby reserve the right to address the points of my own choosing and to stand beside them as deemed appropriate. This treaty shall not be the subject of any future reinterpretations.
Signed
Z
Sorry, I don’t see why Vucic had to go to Trumpistan at all. It’s like walking into a robber’s den and proclaiming a victory because you managed to walk out again with most of your teeth intact and a couple of coins still in your pocket.
ad homienm removed … mod
This meeting did nothing for Serbia and trying to dress it up as anything but humiliation is ridiculous and pathetic.
Serbs are a beaten people and are behaving like a beaten people
Do not expect anyone to stick their neck out for you when you do not fight yourself
The writer should ask himself what has Serbia got today – that it did not have before the meeting????
Only Israel and the gays got something
The meeting was for Trump to show he is the boss – he just looked like a bully of a small nation.
Where are the partisans???
“Where are the partisans???”
As a partisan’s descendant – I can tell you this time we are not coming to fight for you – simple people.
When we warned you not to wear corona masks – you denied us entry to the store. When we asked for help, you greedy bastards tried to profit off our misfortune. You called us red devils. You erased all our ancestors accomplishments. You dismantled the social state – you all were greedy – all wanted, nay, demanded to drive a Mercedes.
But now, we are all capitalists.
Now you have to fight your own battles. No help is coming. Cry as much as you want.
Oh, btw, that mini-shengen will put pressure on local wages – you will be working for those 300 euros. Forever.
Partizans were just a tool of KP, many were killed for a single potato. Our first national hero was almost shot…twice in first winter 1941. My grandfather for stealing 400 cigarets, but felow commrades saved him.
The best have died..
Najboljši so padli….Stane Semič Daki
ha ha ha
The European Union warned Serbia and Kosovo on Monday that they could undermine their EU membership hopes by moving their Israeli embassies to Jerusalem, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement about the change left officials in Belgrade and Pristina scrambling to limit the political fallout.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/serbia-kosovo-commit-eu-talks-100444669.html
the EU should fast-track all those West Balkan countries into the EU
Those “black spots on the EUropean map” are used by the US, China and Russia to
exert influence on Europe
We never laugh in front of sad friends. The information you think you are giving will be forgotten in a minute and everyone will remember a barbarian.Shame.
Yugoslavia fue un gran país cuyo espacio fue ocupado por un enjambre de moscas.
Yandex translation….
Yugoslavia was a great country whose space was occupied by a swarm of flies.
Very true with a notable exemption of the Serb lands which got bombed into oblivion with many Serbs ethically cleansed from the newly formed states before accepting the status of a fly on Tramp’s wall. Everyone else voluntarily brown-nosed the colonisers from Day 1.