Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stressed on Thursday that Belgrade and Pristina are years away from any possible solution for the Kosovo problem.

A Kosovo parliamentary commission approved a draft resolution accusing Serbia of committing genocide against ethnic Albanians during the 1998-99 war, although experts questioned whether it has any practical purpose.

Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to restart EU-brokered talks on better relations, amid ongoing disagreement - in the region and beyond - on a land-swap deal. Serb president Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Hashim Thaci agreed "to press ahead with their efforts to implement existing agreements" in a "constructive" dialogue, a German government spokesman said in Berlin early on Tuesday (30 April).

Kosovo's president said Tuesday help from the United States was necessary to resolve a bitter dispute between his country and Serbia, as Europe was too "weak and divided".

Scheduled local elections in four northern mainly Serbian districts of Kosovo were thrown into crisis on Wednesday when the Central Election Commission, CEC, failed to certify candidates from the main Serbian party in Kosovo, Srpska Lista.

Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said after talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow that "Serbia cannot defend its state interests without the assistance of the Russian Federation."

Kosovo courts have taken over war crimes cases from EULEX, the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo. Beside the war crimes committed by the ethnic Albanian KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army"), Kosovo courts will also deal with the alleged crimes committed by Serbs against Albanians.

A senior U.S. envoy has urged feuding neighbors Serbia and Kosovo to stop provoking each other and to resume talks aimed at normalizing relations. David Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, on March 8 also called on Kosovo to withdraw its 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods to allow European Union-led talks between the former wartime foes to restart.

Belgrade has accused Kosovo of killing off the EU-led dialogue process with its new 11-point platform for negotiations - but has promised a 'moderate' response.

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj stated that Kosovo has cut communication with the UN Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK.