Former NATO spokesman during the 1999 air campaign against Serbia Jamie Shea says that if the Belgrade-Pristina talks progress, it will be more difficult for EU members who have held Kosovo's recognition hostage, as well as Russia's stance. In an exclusive interview for Kosovapress, Mr. Shea says that if Kosovo's neighbors all know Kosovo and live happily with it, then how can some other countries refuse to do so? According to him, the key to many problems is that the EU does not give Serbia EU membership until it resolves its differences with Kosovo.   Mr. Shea, you have had a long career, especially with the Balkans, since you were a NATO spokesman during the air campaign against the former Yugoslavia. As you know, you were one of the main images and voices of the air campaign and a very well-known personality in the Balkans. Now in 2020 you are no longer active in the West's efforts to persuade Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement to close the hostile history between them. How do you see the latest developments around these efforts? I welcome the resumption of the Pristina - Belgrade dialogue and also the fact that the United States is once again engaging its diplomacy at a high level in an important European security issue. I have long been a believer that European security does not need only American troops and tanks but American diplomats as well. Now that the Serbian elections are behind us (even if they were far from perfect) I hope President Vucic will feel that he now has the political base at home to negotiate seriously to reach a complete and durable settlement with Kosovo. It is time to show some statesmanship and the White House talks will give us an early indication if President Vucic - and Prime Minister Hoti - are ready to rise to this challenge.   Richard Grenell, the White House's special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, says the talks will focus on economic issues, while political issues will be left to the European Union to resolve. Do you believe that the division of roles between the US and the European Union regarding the Kosovo-Serbia talks is a good idea?  There is nothing wrong in starting with economic issues as these have always been the early deliverables in the Pristina - Belgrade dialogue. Now that Kosovo has lifted its tariff restrictions on Serbian imports there is plenty of scope to improve bilateral trade, transport infrastructure, energy and telecommunications links. Kosovo should be open to transparent direct foreign investment from Serbian companies and to joint ventures. And vice-versa of course. More trade and economic links can help to promote human to human contacts, including between government administrations, and to build confidence. But, this said, nothing is solved until the politics are solved and economic links will only go so far unless the fundamental political issue has been resolved: which is the full recognition of an independent Kosovo by Belgrade. Only that will enable Kosovo to develop properly, both in the region and the wider world, and to take its rightful place in international organisations. There is nothing wrong in the US and the EU having a division of labour. They both have different forms of leverage over the parties which makes them both essential players. But the key thing is that they consult closely and work together and do not send contradictory messages. The last thing we need is “forum shopping”, as diplomats say, where a party believes that it can obtain more concessions from one side vis a vis the other. So I hope the US and EU will combine their efforts and work towards a comprehensive settlement leading to the full recognition of Kosovo.   If the political issues really remain with the European Union, while it is known that the EU does not have the sense to convince Russia. Do you think things can get complicated in the long run? Diplomacy is never easy. That is why we always need good diplomats. But it is not impossible either, as the resolution of the name dispute between Greece and North Macedonia reminds us. This  has enabled North Macedonia to now join NATO and soon open its membership negotiations to join the European Union. If the Belgrade- Pristina talks make progress it will be harder for the EU members that have withheld recognition of Kosovo and Russia to maintain their positions. If Kosovo’s neighbours all recognise Kosovo, and live happily alongside it, then how could other countries refuse to do so as well?  I think the key here is for the EU not to grant Serbia EU membership until it has settled its differences with Kosovo. This is important leverage which the EU needs to use constructively and wisely. And it needs to include Belgrade’s support for the future EU membership of Kosovo as well. Once Pristina has met all the EU standards and conditions of course.   The talks were interrupted some time ago, while an "anonymous" idea emerged for the exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia. How did this idea look to you and do you believe that this idea will not be discussed? My position on the land swap idea has always been clear. I am against it. It may seem superficially attractive but quick fix solutions rarely last long. For one thing it is very difficult to work out a clean division on the map that satisfies every village and community. Look at the difficulty in defining the Zone of Separation in Bosnia during the Dayton Peace Agreement negotiations. Second, it is a perfect excuse to postpone the recognition issue as we will not know for quite some time which shape of Kosovo we are recognising. And third I believe in the future of Kosovo and Serbia as European multi-ethnic states and not more inward looking mono-ethnic states. It is my personal belief that over the long term relations between Kosovo and Serbia will be more complicated if they are largely mono-ethnic rather than multi-ethnic states and societies.   Do you believe that the parties can reach an agreement with mutual recognition? Yes. Everything is possible with leadership and vision. I have never accepted the view that we cannot do something because of opposition from public opinion. It is the duty of political leadership to shape public opinion.   From the time you were deeply involved in resolving the Kosovo issue, let us say that no Western leader or diplomat of that time is now active in the recent efforts to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Do you think the current diplomatic potential of the west is able to deliver results? Time passes faster than you ever think possible and it is true that my generation of friends of Kosovo are in think tanks  and universities today - rather than staying on the front stage as actors. We just have to hope that the current generation of political leaders is able to complete the task that we started but could not finish: to create a Europe truly whole and free and a Western Balkans including Kosovo embedded in the transatlantic security structures. But even if we are old timers today, we friends of Kosovo are always willing to help. It is up to Kosovo to tell us how we can still be useful. / The interview was conducted on Tuesday by Fadil Miftari/