Former US President national security advisor John Bolton has revealed that Kosovo and Serbia leaders had discussed land swap as an option for a deal as early as 2018.
In an interview with Foreign Press Association, Bolton said that while the idea of the countries’ leaders was controversial, he thought it was worth the effort.
“In the case of Kosovo and Serbia there were indications as early as 2018 that the leaders wanted to get these questions resolved because they saw they couldn’t really get dependable economic growth and stability until their relations were normalized. This was very controversial inside both countries but it seemed to me to be worth the effort.
One of the things they were discussing was the possibility of a land swap. In parts of the Balkans, in Germany, in places in Western Europe that was greeted with dismay because they feared that a land swap there might lead to land swaps elsewhere. This happens in history, that’s just something you have to live with.” Bolton stated.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has repeatedly refuted allegations that he ever discussed land swaps with Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic.
President Trump’s envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has stated that the land swap plan was not supported by Trump but by Bolton. He had claimed earlier that there was no plan for land swap.
Past allegations have involved Thaci and Vucic as initiators of a plan for land swaps, supported by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and later by EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini.
