"Even if we recognized Kosovo in 2008 we wouldn't be in EU"

"There is a theory that there had been talks about an exchange of territory, but that the Americans told the Serbs this cannot happen, all related to the Crimea issue," Smajlovic said, and added:

"On the other hand, the Albanians were told they didn't have to make any concessions to the Serbs because the Serbs were guilty of war and everything else... Giving the UN chair (to Pristina) in exchange for a promise of fast-track EU membership for Serbia seems to me a very bad trade. We cannot quickly become a member of the EU - even if we recognized Kosovo in 2008 (when Pristina made the unilateral declaration of independence), we would not be a part of the EU today."

"It is clear that the EU is struggling to survive and there will be no rapid enlargement. They swung a carrot at us called '2025' (as possible date of accession) - but none of that entered the EU budget. And let's face it - there is no fast-track membership," Smajlovic said.

She added that none of the people currently in power in Europe can guarantee or promise anything.

"I think that the demand that Serbia cease to resist Kosovo getting the UN chair is so huge that I don't know what the Albanians should do in return. To begin with, we need to go into the discussion that those few Serbs (in Kosovo) should be guarded like the apple of the eye, to have all their rights respected. to live completely safe and as a privileged minority, such as some minorities in European countries. And then we could begin to talk about everything," Smajlovic added.

According to her, there is no need to hurry, "because we already know that we will not become a member of the EU in 2025."

"Although they constantly say the ball is in our court, Merkel, after Croatia's ...