The Documentary Podcast

Balkan Border Wars - Serbia and Kosovo


Listen Later

Old enemies Serbia and Kosovo discuss what for some is unthinkable - an ethnic land swap. This dramatic proposal is one of those being talked about as a means of normalising relations between these former foes. Since the bloody Kosovo war ended with NATO intervention in 1999, civility between Belgrade and Pristina has been in short supply. Redrawing borders along ethnic lines is anathema to many, but politicians in Serbia and Kosovo have their eyes on a bigger prize... For Serbia, that is membership of the European Union. But the EU will not accept Serbia until it makes an accommodation with its neighbour. Kosovo wants to join the EU too, but its immediate priority is recognition at the United Nations, and that is unlikely while Serbia's ally, Russia, continues to thwart Kosovo's ambitions there. Both of these Balkan nations want to exit this impasse. And a land-swap, giving each of them much-coveted territory, might just do it. For Assignment, Linda Pressly and producer, Albana Kasapi, visit the two regions at the heart of the proposal - the ethnically Albanian-majority Presevo Valley in Serbia, and the mostly Serb region north of Mitrovica in Kosovo.

(PHOTO: Hevzi Imeri, an ethnic Albanian and Danilo Dabetic, a Serb, play together at the basketball club Play 017 in Bujanovac – one of very few mixed activities for young people in Serbia’s Presevo Valley. BBC photo.)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Documentary PodcastBy BBC World Service

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

1,607 ratings


More shows like The Documentary Podcast

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,806 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

374 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,514 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

964 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

587 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,869 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,068 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

357 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

601 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

973 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

414 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

414 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

735 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

841 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

364 Listeners

Today in Focus by The Guardian

Today in Focus

1,026 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,205 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,071 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

780 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,041 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

373 Listeners