Clinton, the farewell tour

Her visits in Sarajeva, Belgrade, Zagreb, Prishtina and Tirana aim to encourage the economic and democratic reforms in the region, which are also known for old ethnic tensions.

The visit of the American and European diplomatic leaders brings a symbolic meaning, no matter what the results are.

Clinton’s position in Belgrade shows the efforts to normalize the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. For the international community, this is the image taken from the meeting of the Serbian and Kosovo Prime Ministers a few days ago in Brussels.

Although Taci talked about a mutual meeting between two states, under the mediation of the EU, Dacic was careful to reiterate that this doesn’t change Serbia’s position for Kosovo.

“The notion of the unilateral independence declaration is unacceptable”, the Serbian Prime Minister declared.

Clinton’s visit gave a clear message: Serbia is going outside the diplomatic handling space. To Belgrade it is shown that it is not in their interest to profit from the views of the US and the EU about Kosovo.

Her visit together with Ashton shows the unity of the most powerful countries and aims to minimize the diplomatic limits, for the opinion of the five EU countries that have refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence, such as Spain, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Romania, which Serbia continues to praise.

The symbolic visit in Belgrade and Prishtina give a clear message that both parties need to overcome the bitter past and start to dialogue for a better future. There’s a message for Albania, too: the need for a strong political cooperation and the establishment of the rule of law.

Her tour in Balkan is the act that shows the interest, the commitment and the support of Washington for a region that has always been in their attention, although not with the same intensity. But it is the voice that shows the interest for its future in the EU and Atlantic integration.

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