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PRESEVO, Serbia – The idea of a "land swap" between Serbia and Kosovo to settle their long-standing dispute has sparked passions before a new round of talks between former enemies of the war.
This idea would probably see a part of southern Serbia centered on the predominantly ethnic Albanian town of Presevo, transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo around Mitrovica would become part of Serbia .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Hashim Thaci are expected to meet in Brussels on Friday as part of efforts to normalize relations in the region still torn apart by the tensions of the 1998-99 war.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized as a nation by more than 100 countries. But Serbia does not recognize it, no more than five countries in the EU – Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
Serbia and Kosovo were informed that they had to settle their differences if they wished to progress towards EU membership. Officials from both countries have suggested that a land swap could be a good idea, but there is opposition inside and outside the country.
It is feared that border changes will trigger similar demands in Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro, also countries that emerged from the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
A boy who rides a bicycle in the city of Presevo, Serbia, on Thursday, September 6, 2018, and who could be part of a land exchange agreement aimed at finding a lasting solution to the decades-long conflict between Serbia and Kosovo. The idea that the two former enemies of the war, Serbia and Kosovo, could exchange territories has been launched in recent weeks by officials and media from both sides of this divided region. (Zenel Zhinipotoku / Associated Press)
Germany and some of its EU partners have also expressed fears that this could open old wounds in the Balkans rather than resolve their longstanding differences.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has said it will accept any agreement between the two parties.
Although there are no fixed proposals on the table, the most frequently mentioned ideas still concern the Presevo Valley region in Serbia, which will be exchanged for the Serb-populated northern Kosovo.
Zoran Ostojic, an analyst from Belgrade, believes that the meeting in Brussels on Friday will not lead to an immediate breakthrough despite increased expectations.
Serbia Vucic and Kosovo Thaci "are testing the ground, mainly with the international community" by passing the idea, he said.
"Who knows where this could end?" Warned Ostojic, echoing fears of a chain reaction in the Balkans.
Vucic, a convinced former nationalist who now wants to solve the Kosovo problem so that Serbia can move forward, has supported an unspecified "demarcation" with Kosovo.
But many Serbs see Kosovo as the cradle of their history and culture, and Vucic could face severe nationalist opposition to any proposal to forgo a claim on any part of the territory.
The liberal Serbs warned that joining northern Kosovo with Serbia proper would probably lead to an exodus of the Serbian minority from the rest of Kosovo.
Kosovo, Thaci, ruled out a simple exchange of territories, but instead suggested a "border correction". This idea met with little support for Pristina. He said Thursday that both sides should not give up seeking a "lasting peace".
"We should use this momentum to end the war between Kosovo and Serbia," said Thaci.
Reflecting tensions, the Kosovo parliament has been stuck for days in a dispute over who should lead the negotiations with Serbia and how this should be done.
The opposition tried to strip Thaci of any authority to discuss the territory of Kosovo in talks with Vucic.
The 1998-1999 war broke out when Kosovo separatists started a rebellion to separate from Serbia after Belgrade stripped the region of its autonomy. More than 10,000 people died in the conflict before NATO forced Serbia to withdraw from the territory.
EU officials hope that prospects for joining the bloc will encourage the Balkan countries to leave the past behind, but as far as Serbia and Kosovo are concerned, the road is still long.
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Jovana Gec in Belgrade (Serbia) and LLazar Semini in Tirana (Albania) contributed to this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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