Garčević on RFE on Exchange of Territory in the Balkans
Amb. Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at the Frederick S.Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was recently interviewed on the latest proposal of U.S. Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who sent a letter to the Serbian President, asking Serbian authorities to consider exchanging territories with Kosovo. He also proposed a change of borders in other parts of the Balkans.
He highlighted that an exchange of borders would produce disastrous consequences on the stability and security in the Balkans, and also commented on a possible change of the US policy toward this part of Europe as the result of a supposed US/Russia rapprochement.
Garcevic was interviewed for a February 9, 2017 segment on Radio Free Europe, an American media outlet in Prague, the Czech Republic that covers 23 European states and broadcasts/publishes its programs in 26 languages.
From the interview:
Ideas of territorial swaps are not new, and they were popular during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Any proposal of that kind, including a recent “advice” by member of the U.S .Congress Dana Rohrabacher for “an exchange of territories” between Serbia and Kosovo, or between Macedonia and Albania would not only cause long-lasting negative consequences for stability in the region, but it could also set up stage for a new ethnic war in this, still volatile, part of Europe.
Though the U.S. may change its policy toward the Balkans in coming years as a result of a possible new reset of Russia-US relations, it’s hard to believe, no matter how current administration seems to be unpredictable, that a change of borders will be seriously considered in the White House. Moreover, congressman Rohrabacher, known for his similarly “odd” initiatives in the past and his open support for Russian President Putin, doesn’t represent the political mainstream neither in GOP nor in the US Congress.
Prior to joining the Pardee School faculty, Amb. Garčević’s served as National Coordinator for NATO in Montenegro, where he managed inter-agency coordination and NATO public campaign promoting Montenegro’s membership to the organization. You can read more about him here.