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Politico.eu (19 December 2018)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Wednesday he doesn't share Donald Trump's apparent optimism about the prospects of a Kosovo peace deal.

The U.S. president made a surprise intervention into faltering talks between Serbia and Kosovo aimed at reaching agreement on issues left unresolved from their 1998-1999 war. In a letter to Kosovan President Hashim Thaçi published Tuesday, Trump said an agreement that balances the interests of Kosovo and Serbia is "within reach." Vučić received a similar letter, his media adviser said.

Speaking in Brussels, Vučić described Trump's interest in relations between Belgrade and Pristina as "very important" and said it would place an even greater onus on both sides to reach a deal.

"On the other hand, I'm not that optimistic as people in Pristina were [about the effect of the letter]. I'm not as optimistic as it looks like President Trump was," Vučić told POLITICO after a meeting with fellow Western Balkan leaders and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. "I've seen a lot of different initiatives."

Vučić said Belgrade is ready to take part once again in an EU-backed dialogue with Pristina as soon as its leaders revoke a decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods.

https://www.politico.eu/article/serbia-aleksandar-vucic-doesnt-share-us-president-trumps-optimism-on-kosovo-deal-hashim-thaci/