Скачать или смотреть Disagreement on Kosovo mars news briefing as Albanian PM Rama meets Serbian PM Vucic

(10 Nov 2014) Serbian and Albanian officials clashed on Monday after what were intended to be icebreaking talks, following decades of tensions between the Balkan foes that have been further fuelled by a recent drone incident at a football match.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic was visibly angry when his Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, described the independence of the former Serbian province of Kosovo as a "reality" that "cannot be changed," during a joint news conference.
Vucic responded by saying he had not expected the "provocation", that he would not allow anyone to "humiliate Serbia in Belgrade", and said Kosovo remains "part of Serbia".
Rama arrived in Belgrade on Monday for the first visit to Serbia by an Albanian premier in 68 years.
Relations between Serbia and Albania have been tense for decades, mainly over Kosovo, an ethnic Albanian-dominated former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008.
Serbia, which considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood and religion, has never accepted its statehood.
Earlier on in the news conference, the two prime ministers pledged to put their countries' differences aside and focus on other major issues such as their mutual desire to join the European Union.
The ongoing tension increased last month when a European Championship football qualifying match in Belgrade between the two countries' national teams was suspended after a drone, carrying an Albanian nationalist flag, ignited clashes between players and fans.
The two prime ministers have previously traded blame over the incident.

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