CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 57

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
accounts (an account that can only be accessed if the requirements are
met). Nikos Anastasiadis' proposal seems unrealistic at the moment. Each
side seeks to take this opportunity to push forward its interests: Greek-
Cypriots aim to achieve island reunification by economically including
Turkish-Cypriots, and Turkey to the contrary tries to deepen divisions
and strengthen its position in the region.
The Kosovo situation also continues to develop. The main issue on
the Kosovo-EU agenda at the moment is visa liberalization. Kosovo is
trying to put pressure on the European Union. Kosovo’s President
Hashim Thaci threatens to unite with Albania if the EU pursues its policy
of isolation 19 , meaning a "protracted process" of EU visa liberalization
for Kosovo. The EU has responded to Kosovo's demand. At the end of
August, the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini announced that
the EU countries should abolish visa requirements for Kosovo 20 , as all
requirements have already been fulfilled. It is not ruled out that Kosovo
will comply with the EU requirements and will not continue its policy of
unification with Albania, which may create opportunities in the context of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In spite of the partially recognized status of Kosovo, the EU has
provided both financial and advisory support to the development of
Kosovo's state institutions. Moreover, the prospect of joining the
European Union was opened for Kosovo and Serbia regarding the final
settlement of the conflict.
Artsakh has never received such support and assistance from the
international community. The international community avoids
recognizing Artsakh's independence or working directly with state
institutions. One of the reasons is the perception of the international
community that Artsakh's ultimate goal is to unite with Armenia.
Now, with such statements by Kosovo, the situation is changing,
and that difference in approaches is becoming artificial. In this context,
the agencies responsible for the foreign policy of Armenia and Artsakh

19
Kosovo said it would consider a referendum on unification with Albania, TASS,
September 20, 2019, (in Russian) https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/6494949
(accessed September 20, 2019).
20 Remarks by HR/VP Federica Mogherini at the press conference following the informal
meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich), EEAS website, September 20, 2019,
https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/66820/remarks-hrvp-federica-
mogherini-press-conference-following-informal-meeting-eu-foreign_en
(accessed September 20, 2019).
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