Serbian ambassadors recalled “for consultations” in recent months from capitals of countries that recognised Kosovo as independent could be reinstated, depending on the outcome of talks between Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic and president Boris Tadic on the weekend of July 19 and 20.

Protest notes and withdrawal of ambassadors followed recognition by countries of the February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.

Forty-three of 192 UN member states recognised Kosovo, including the United States, France, Turkey, UK, Australia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, Finland, Canada, Hungary, Croatia, Norway, Lithuania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

According to a report by Bulgarian news agency Focus, Jeremic told Serbia’s Politika newspaper that he would meet Tadic to discuss returning the ambassadors to their designated capitals.

The move signals a drive by Serbia’s new pro-Western government, sworn in on July 7 2008, to reach out to Washington and the European Union, while maintaining Belgrade’s rejection of Kosovo independence. Serbia aspires to membership of the EU.

On July 17 2008, Jeremic told the New York Times: “In terms of foreign policy, our government is focused on two priorities – Serbia’s accession to the EU and keeping the diplomatic fight for protection of our sovereignty and territorial integrity alive”.

Earlier, serbianna.com reported that Jeremic had said during a visit earlier in the week to Paris that there was still no decision on the return of Serbia’s ambassador to France, but added that the government’s action plan would be “viewed dynamically and changed as necessary”. 

“We shall be measuring and balancing, every minute. In diplomacy, you can never say that something is impossible, but such a decision has not been made yet,” Jeremic said.