Serbian Leader Compares EU Demands to Habsburg Ultimatum on Eve of WWI - The New York T... - 0 views
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erbia’s president has compared European Union demands of the country in exchange for membership of the bloc to an ultimatum the Austro-Hungarian empire presented to Belgrade on the eve of World War One.
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Germany has dismissed the accusations as “unfounded” and Western diplomats say little is being asked of Serbia that it has not already signed up to under an EU-brokered accord with Kosovo in 2013 that is slowly being implemented.
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Kosovo has been recognized by more than 100 countries, including the major Western powers, but not by Serbia or its big-power ally Russia.
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Some of Serbia’s most important religious sites are located in Kosovo, which many Serbs regard as the cradle of their identity and Orthodox Christian faith. Many have been damaged by ethnic Albanians since the 1999 war.
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In remarks on Thursday reported in Blic, he criticized what he said were new demands that Serbia file reports to Kosovo’s government regarding funding for ethnic Serb-run bodies inside Kosovo.
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Serbia's presidency is a largely ceremonial position, but Nikolic is from the ranks of the ruling Progressive Party, now led by Vucic, and has sway over hardliners in the party.