north west, india and pakistan is far more than the whole of may you sanford trees? has the mystery not very high, but in some places going beyond june as well. they've given them all the same trophies down here. you shouldn't see much of this, but he's the old the site and it's not just the northwest of india, it is still practiced. i know that you've seen deaf films in the sorry for it's not particularly rare. this is around the middle of the build of cloud and showers at the heaviest of course, in the notes the after a lifetime in finland, an immigrant pretends to some of the land. upon discovering his unsuccessful homes couldn't be a gold mine. but to benefits his community from the minerals beneath the land, he must navigate the jo tribal disputes above it, the witness golden light

on now to sierra the us and e. you have criticized coast of those governments that soft police use force to install newly elected. i think i'll be any mess getting most c s makes the region. so it'd be a split. it's on the on highlight what's behind that square up and couldn't spread . this is inside story, the hello and welcome to the program. i'm fairly bad people. this tension once again in northern coast of all this time after police use force to allow for ethnic albanian mass take up office after winning local elections. that vote was boycotted by most ethnic serbs to make up the majority in the region. there's a ju political backdrop to close of what was one spot of the former yugoslavia. now

russia back serbia, and nato, a support school civil is independence. along with a launch contingent job international troops will be discussing the implications of the state is crisis with august and just a moment. but for his district, for, for my son big in northern coast, of all these calls towards the eviction. the at the center of the lake is there up in northern comfortable the buttons begun after i think said strike to prevent newly elected opinion is from taking office. especially units of comfortable police responded to spend for nathan, tech savvy and president. our executive richard had responded by station and he's on me on full, come back to let me of the cost of all border ownership. it's an example because of what the president is warning is that the prime minister of possible will not stop . and she will continue to carry out activities aimed at further aggravating the serbian community. but in the, the estimated banging full majority of more than 90 percent. and comfortable, but to the north ethnic steps to make up the majority. they boycotted local

elections in april, depending great to economy. with the turn act of less than 4 percent ethnic albanians took control of local, cancelled through some measure. elected with fewer than 200 boats. with comfortable as prime minister says it was the duty of please to allow elected officials to take office with that invitation. us secretary of state and you've been completed saying we strongly condemned the actions by the government across the vote that to escalate to intentions in the north and increasing instability. while the german special envoy to the west and balkans have this to say, i'm very convinced that yesterday was a bed they feel comfortable and for the whole this done by a cons agent. the scenes of unrest have many feeling of an escalation. in this paula taught region, it is very worrying because it's part of a pattern of worsening conditions on the grounds. and we've also seen successive rounds of western light negotiations break down because some very fundamental

issues simply cannot be resolved on the ground. presently, largely, again, owing to the transit and so the authorities in bel great who keeps signaling and keep directing their various proxies in north costs of up to resist any form of integration with the local authorities. ethnics ads and customers, northern districts on board to save you and have never recognized comfortable as independents which it declared in 2008 the us. and most of us, not only you countries have recognized that sovereignty, but savvy as family, a post, it's independence, along with this tradition alive, russia and china, in these areas. so being flags like permanently but comfortable. police have begun taking the ones on government buildings down. and the thousands of need to let chips and costs of will remain on high elect, trying to maintain a fresh, all calm aside vague for insight, story, selection possible tensions between serbia and asked me companions in cost of will have persisted for move in 2 decades. the collapse of yugoslavia led to europe's

worst conflicts since the 2nd world war. close of all, historically, a southern province of serbia bid for economy prompting another war in the 1990s. nato bom, serbia, and a multinational military force in kosovo, has kept an uneasy peace since then. in 2008 kosovo declared independence backed by most of the west. but not serbia, russia or china to this day, incidents continued to flare up in september, they were a few days protest by essex goods. after the cost of those authorities ordered serbian vehicle license trades to be changed to cost of our ones. and in december, the arrest of an ethnic cert, former police officer, lead to a 10 stand off in northern coast of all the one that's bringing august. now for today's inside story in pristina, don eli is the head of research at the close of us center for security studies and

bound grades. helena avon, off associate research fellow at the henry jackson society. and in verona, ashley, georgia. free shown a research fellow at the tally and institute for international political studies. balkans desk a warm welcome to all of you. thank you for joining us inside story. don in pristina, let me start with you. as we've seen in our reports, flare ups involving serves in northern coastal are a periodic occurrence. how dangerous is this latest escalation in the current domestic context in both countries and in the regional context as well? a, well, it's very dangerous and a civil society and the resources have been one that we have been wanting for years now that without the sustainable solution to the north of cost of all that these incidents with the potential to lead to violence will happen, then they did happen last year and they continued to happen this year as well. the

situation, the noise stalls, dad, while this might look about the elections, this is not just the box. and actually this is about a bigger picture of the overall context of the relations between sylvia and go slow and the situation and in, in the norm. as you pointed out in the beginning. while the cost of all it has the exams independence, the sylvia continues to be texas in the us trying to facilitate the resolution of this dispute. and central to this dispute is recognition of courses into by the state. and it's not just so good as not recognizing but the 4 and a half when it's to the police about using the norm of continue also to, to reach apple. so 30. so this requires an ocean solution. and the he was in a basket to facilitate a proper solution in the situation. and we'll discuss the, the possible solutions a little later in the program. helena, let me come to you and ask you about the move in boundary to the serbian army says it's at its highest level of alert, is a saber rattling and your view. oh,

is there a real risk of explanation today? well, this is not the 1st time that we've heard the president and the government increased to combat readiness to the highest to learn. so i guess the every time when we see similar escalations like the ones that we're seeing right now, this is the way in which validate tends to respond. i think we find ourselves in a very difficult situation right now because there is no obvious solution going forward and because many other problems that remain open and, and result despite some optimism after the dialogue and brussels and then later on in voltage. however, what i always say in what is really encouraging is that the international community is involved and is keeping a careful eye over what is going on. and i think the fact that k for troops are based there and are involved in the situation means that they can respond quickly and switch leak if this was to escalate it even further. but that, that is as much as we can say right now. but i do think,

and i would like to agree with, with my company here that we need a long term solution to this problem. right. uh, let me just ask you, helena, to what extent are internal politics in serbia also at play? here we see and huge on tied government protests against the government and so it'd be a calls for president for which is to resign. is that also playing a role here in these tensions between serbia and comfortable warming the way? i would definitely say so i think the serbian government finds itself in a very difficult position for rounds of protest, massive massive protests against the governments. then of course, this pro government riley that was organized on friday on the same day when the escalations uncomfortable reached their peak. i think all of this contributes to the stabilize ation in the country. more generally and it definitely doesn't, doesn't help president booted who is now trying to maintain this view, that serbia is united and that serbia is table. right, george? you let me come to you. what do you see as a real catalyst for this latest crisis? and who, in your view, best responsibility for it to yeah,

um what the sierra is. uh, kind of, uh uh the email letting me go like that that has been going on for uh, uh, 3 hours or so. the final goal is to prolong the stuff as well between the cost of the and sir, because the cost is the score uh goes in the uh, favor of both countries leaders and what they see here as a, um, uh let me, let me be very honest about i kind of uh, uh, same body dickson as before and then you'd be back to, was about to solve this situation. so they are trying to recreate the same model of the adult comprises. and then both leader can present themselves to both. but the national groups and the both, but i will also say electronic bodies de rolling and extra bodies as the only

defenders of the national issues. and then this way they can to present themselves as the on the national lead, their in their own boundaries. and right and just kind of, oh yes, you would. you're interesting. yeah, i wanted to, to bring up this point of b e. u. and uh, the us openly criticizing cost of was government for, for this latest escalation, we've heard the us state department a condemned the government's action saying that were taken against washington's advice. this is quite significant business for kosovo as allies to condemn its actions. what is your reading office? and um, is your say know that today as a leverage on customer provide a name the exact exactly because they are the main spouse or all the customer independence. so they long hold on for a customer. and because of this,

they know that they can, uh, as i said, they have a leverage and then go back to man. but in my opinion, they are doing this because they are asking the circle side to do the longest suspend. so to arrive to kind of the factory commission of the customer independence. and in order to do that, to the customer side as to implement the new agreement, then the most important part of disagreement is being prevented. the association of the 2nd one is symbolic, and i think that is the very core of the, of the, the lot probably should downwards here waiting on the condemnation coming from washington. and how do you think the cost of our government would have received this? but i think it's very concerning an example message. i personally do not think that, you know, there's 2 ways to see it. at this situation, the recent escalation from technical and legal perspective, you know,

you have the new mayor selected. they were sent to the office, but i do not think it is smart. no, right to install. you may uh, to spell the man in the office is the by use of force or the police. so i don't think this also sends the right message to the serbian population in the north about our willingness or the readiness of the gospel government to facilitate the integration there. so i said, why did you think the cal smart government did this? why did they do this? knowing that it was going to be provocative and that it was going to start tensions in the north. why did they send this police escort? but i've seen that they wanted to show that, you know, a possible institutions have the capacity to act throughout the country. you know that there was a legal obligation for the mans to exercise their job, but at the same time, you cannot detach this from the grounds. in the north which is that, you know, it is a very uh, you know, its security advice,

but also in terms of community that is a different situation in the north of possible. and the solution to the north goes to the dialogue that the east facilitating the government from the tactics. the fact it was right in that aspect. but it is never right in my opinion, to use force in these cases. and the government should have perhaps tried to find another way. and the reason why the, you and us and we acted, i think is that perhaps these actions have undermined processes that are ongoing right now. on the implementation of the recent agreement, there was region temporary between goes to a certain young and disagreement is quite important. and i would just like to disagree with the previous point. i don't think i one particular elements of disagreement. this important all of it is important. there's 11 hospitals in total . all right, so some of them disagree. the box of management and coastal use to send the right messages, then it is readily agreed, degrades the serbian community in the country by establishing that is the

association of so much of a thing this about is which was agreed actually in 2013 by a back and then the to 5 minutes or so. so. okay, so, so, and let me ask about this reality of, of northern cost of all that you talk about done what's life life or ethnic serbs, elena living in northern coast of all the, those issue of integration of course. but given that they didn't present to participate in the recent local elections, to what extent are they also blamed to blame for the situation perhaps that they find themselves in today as well. i think for ordinary citizens who live in the north and north of the costs of the situation is very difficult. the relationship between the political representatives from service, county style, and the beltway machine is known to everyone with many people suggesting that very often uses people from the north of costa was their phones and then kind of trying to use the situation and costs of elk for their own political gains, which often means that these people do not receive the protection that they need.

if you look at the situation realistically, as people weren't, you know, as, as, as a comfortable police, frontier gas and shop bombs and serves who live in north comfortable development government and most of northern serves representatives were rolling bound big for valley. so i think they often find themselves abandoned and unprotected, and i think on the other hand, the comfortable government they often and as, as, as the incidence of 2 days ago, also show they often show that they're not really interested in engaging in a proper integration of this community and so i think they find themselves in a very difficult situation. honestly. i mean, a ghost of us government has, in the past accused russia and i went abroad and not the discussion here a bit. they have accused rochelle, supporting serbia in staring at these ethnic tensions. certainly, and rush of course, the traditional allies is serbian policy and the current options. is it independent of right? is it independent of russian influence as well?

i think, i think russia is obviously trying to explore and use any tracks in the unity you can find it very clearly was certainly it's a keeps me it's, it's some new that it has right now, which is the cost of oh is, is part of the serve you started trying, i think russia to r t and student inputs are the 2 channels that continue to operate in serbia, but also to various telegram channels continues to disseminate its propaganda. i also do think that serbia, on the other hand, also has to follow what the ease policies are. so we've seen, you know, some desires from valid rates to accept videos that we're proposing brussels. and in oxygen recent months, i'm going to try and set it equal shading table, but i think, you know, the situation is quite difficult. and gotcha is definitely, you know, abusing any practice in the unit, the bad that it can find. because the maintenance level, silver serbia, right? georgia. what's your view of russia's role here? if there is one, the russians have pointed to kosovo in the past as a justification for what they've done in ukraine to justify their actions,

perhaps in taking parts of ukraine. and what they say is protecting the russian speaking population in ukraine. can we draw a power level between this and the russian invasion of ukraine? is there a possibility of us, of a stimulus scenario unfolding in cost of all a? hi, ma'am. the under is known to proceed lead. you have a similar scenario for different reasons. first of all, russia is not the what's on the ground in the body guns. and this has been like this for 20 years now. garage dressed from your political point of view, and as so my colleagues for me said that there is much more interest in an exploding from or the pickup interviewing study entities at the local level. because the more the bulk, i'm sorry, stable the far from from european union and from entering the not the in the case of but both seems to go behind and serve. yep. so the roles of the russian, the balkans,

add several of influence and the in the particularly well because of all it is uh i'm the right to roll. so they are not having a direct influence in this issue. but the rather exploiting the domain outcomes of these fashions and, and the low color instability is. so i don't think that there is the possibility of a ukraine scenario because that, that will be a military, politically economic. i'm the 1st of all, politically, suicide from uh, from, from serving side. because in my opinion, there is much more political convenience in the repeating that there is a free, a possible brain to problem with the old enemy rather than opening a war as a, as we have seen getting and ukraine but tries to sing this stuff. and then the tensions are to be underestimated. dimensions are very serious and we have to

monitor the situation. but they don't believe that the armoire with the open support, the brush is going to be able to be done. your thoughts about this, that this possible scenario of comfortable uh, perhaps facing the same of the situation as you create as well. uh, one thing we haven't learned was recent development. since then we cannot be complacent. not, i don't mean just to have with in europe in general. no one thought rush out perhaps, or many didn't think that was a to do what it did in your brain to evade the country. but he did. and the crazy thing is that right now in the west and boston's, if you years ago, the possibility of open conflict was entirely missed a or, or disregard it. today. it is not the case today. these tensions are showing that it is possible. but in the case of possible and i want to export the points for my colleagues that were mentioned before,

the good thing is we have an angel forces in the country and i do not think the scenario like washing ukraine is possible him because you have over $5000.00 natal soldiers in the country and they goes to by the national monday is the, has the made responsibility of the month. they sort of safe and secure environment . our do not think president change was or step and move in the army. and because that would hopefully mean a homesick this, this may go, but at the same time i see the coastal government shouldn't listen to the message doesn't need to and you are sending because these kinds of actions might create a situation whereby perhaps an official military, a conflict is not possible, but it is also on the 9 both of the that there are very well armed groups in right or a dentist would be some kind of a violence or,

or control. come sit there and wait. as far as is it just dimensions isn't as you know, and you and i was mentioning them, the main consequences for this are citizens in the ground, the people, especially the northwest suffering to uh to the situations. indeed, i didn't know. so how often do we resolve out standing issues between these 2 countries and why are we still in the same place more than 10 years after the dialogue between kosovo and serbia began supported by the you? of course, why haven't we move towards more calmer relations not necessarily recognition of course of all by serbia, but more common relations between the 2 countries. well, i think the 1st and the biggest problem is of course that we're speaking about 2 entities with mutually exclusive interest, which was always going to make the process of negotiating very, very difficult, comfortable ones, complete independence survey absolutely refuses to recognize that. so from the very beginning, it was hard to find that, you know, middle ground, the solution that works. i think what further contributed to this is that the

international community often make mistakes on the way. so for example, if we look at today and the deals that were made in brussels and oxygen the last few months, obviously, obviously everyone is asking themselves, are these really going to work because these 2 deals are happening in the backdrop of the brussels agreement. that was signed in 2013, that still hasn't been fulfilled, which then you know, questions and credibility or any deals that are either verbally accepted or assigned. so i think that's, that's the 2nd problem. and then finally, the problem is that both cost of all governments and serbian governments have a pushed for nationalistic discourse, isn't played to the nationalist card whenever that suited their personal and political gains. the problem with that is, of course, is that you decide to make these kinds of discourses we sent inevitably create a very complicated and difficult situation on the ground. where the 2 communities didn't peacefully coexisting a very difficult way because it can be people nationalistic, propaganda. balance to be also pointed on the ground and in terms of how we move

forward from here. well, you know, everyone has questioned the legitimacy of the local elections that happened in april because they were boycotted by the service. i think the 1st and for us to find a way to get this community back into the institutions and to then try and move forward obviously through through dialogue. how do you get them back into the institutions? well hi thing can with a lot of difficulty, but i think, you know, another round of tools solely dedicated to the service back into the institutions would be needed. i mean, just suggest to tell the viewers the certainly and representatives in north of costs will have demanded that the present and booty stops any conversations with teaching up until the bound is resolved. so i think the conversation between older relevant entities aiming. so we got bringing back the service into the institutions and bring the legitimacy entities, institutions is absolutely critical for going forward. okay, georgia, you have thoughts about how we move forward in this crisis to you. i say that both serbia and coastal need to normalize their relations if they wish to join the

european union drunk. of course, if the you, let's say, were to accept both countries, do you think it could be something that could diffuse detentions a. but i don't think that the, according to the new agreement, is they have to implement both the confidence of this, of this new to the affected. and a lot of the main things that are going to be the same as the catalogs and sticks are from one side of the uh, the thought of both countries and become friends of donors show. and they still countries are going to receive the funds that are going to be essential or they will there's a modernization in for the reforms and for a uh for their own you about. so i think that the that should be the, i'll see that the best and some people or both sides. and if they see

it from the you sign of seeing that there is no implementation normalization. open brain to progress from the dialogue to this. my name's going to to do to the domains and uh they, they, they cannot go along without that. so i think that, uh, and then like positive in this sense and then i opened it up. okay. so dan, georgia, it seems to be positive. he said he's quite positive. what do you see as a solutions to these outstanding problems? if in various efforts, of course, to diffuse these tensions over the years. but it seems like it's just kicking the can down the road every time. how do we solve it? ultimately, the uh, the reason that we were that was nice in february, uh, kind of hinted that the process is moving towards what the is the shopping of the, which is called a comprehensive, legally binding agreement. and this was a legally binding, is you from this on for far from the used one through use of all countries in the way, no longer have these uh, these skills because each other means that some,

yeah, no longer objects to postables independence which doesn't necessarily mean acceptance, so i think way forward, central gives implementation. this is, this is the key in order to come to a more effective implementation you needs to before and what are you using? they're working on this a sequence class about how we go about implementing this. this recent agreement that was reached in february and this one is sequencing means that a very tangible, complete actions, what needs to take place when and buy a home in other, in other words, you know, this is a one to call. some government needs to do. and this is what the serbian government needs to do. and this is important because the trust is also another issue. and we have parties that have been negotiating in bosses that have clearly shown they have significantly a big they have absolutely no confidence in your confidence in each other. so right now, in implementing that he sent agreement,

i think both parties are concerned. if they would move with a step towards implementation, then they was not the other party was not. so we need a sequence planned action from, from the, you kind of the need to and the piece month. it's not just about, and i want to also bring it down the points when it's about just about incentives in terms of the couch. but it's also about the cost of but as it stands, right, you know, we cannot continue to have these kind of crises perpetually both costs. one, so be a one to become members of the you and have contractual relations, reviewing the foremost organization association agreement. and these concepts clearly say both acosta and serbia that or if the side is not making progress towards them, all these ational relations that you can suspend the process. so we need to have these ones. uh, i understand that from the side of preston. would you just my colleague was mentioning he's facing right now. uh, domestic pressure due to uh, corruption attacks on. yeah. okay. uh, hold on, let me see him and so sorry,

but just one at this point. uh and uh, and she might have to abuse the case of possible uh to continue the steps of school . and so i okay. i think of some of this situation is important on many, many levels. not just thank you very much for that. actually the thanks to all 3 of you for a very insightful conversation. thank you don. eliza elena, even off georgia, free show any. and thank you as well for watching. you can always watches program again any time by visiting our website at all, just sierra dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash a inside story. you can, of course, during the conversation on twitter i'll handle is at a great inside story from me, from the back to board and whole team here in doha. thanks for watching bye. for now, the the

oscar winning act, or cate blanchett, discuss is how advocating for refugees has changed her outlook. people are meant for incredibly welcoming environmental to give and talks about the challenges facing the un with the ongoing global crisis unit c icon. rachel and these people, so it just reinforced to me the importance of the international community to maintain humanitarian aid. you and hcr goodwill. ambassador cate blanchett talks to i'll just be around the .