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Somai, Miklos

World's Agricultural Production and Trade: Food Security at Stake?

THE CITIZENS ON THE SERBIAN-ALBANIAN 
RELATIONS AND THE REGIONAL SECURITY 
COOPERATION 
 
SECURITY RESEARCH FORUM BELGRADE-
PRISHTINA-TIRANA 
Belgrade, October 31st 2013 
On the Project 
• Security Research Forum Belgrade-Prishtina-Tirana is a 
joint project of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, 
the Kosovar Center for Security Studies (KCSS) and the 
Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), three 
independent think-tanks from Belgrade, Prishtina and 
Tirana, specialised in security issues 
• The project aims to initiate research-based discussion 
on possible ways to improve the relations among 
Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. The debate should include 
think-tanks, academia, politicians and the media. 
 
On the public opinion survey 
• The survey was based on the same questionnaire and 
conducted in Serbia, Kosovo and Albania during the 
first three weeks of October 2013. 
• The survey covered representative samples of citizens. 
In Serbia, a number of 1200 citizens was interviewed, 
including a sub-sample of 200 citizens in Southern 
Serbia (the municipalities of Preshevo, Bujanovac and 
Medvedja). The survey in Kosovo encompassed 1119 
respondents including 100 ethnic Serbs residing in 
Northern Kosovo. In Albania, 1100 citizens were 
interviewed.  
THE PUBLIC OPINION IN SERBIA 
Sonja Stojanović Gajić 
Belgrade Centre for Security Policy 
13% 
13% 
17% 
56% 
It should not be carried on
…only if it will increase chances of joining 
the EU 
Do not know
…no matter if there is a pressure by the EU 
or not 
The dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina should be 
carried on… 
42% 
27% 
30% 
Do you think ongoing dialogue between Prishtina-Belgrade 
will improve inter-ethnic relations? 
Yes
No
Do not know
3% 
5% 
9% 
12% 
14% 
18% 
37% 
Serbia
Kosovo Serbs
Kosovo
Kosovo Albanians
Both Kosovo and Serbia are losing
European Union
Both Kosovo and Serbia are benefiting
Who is benefiting most from the ongoing dialogue between 
Prishtina and Belgrade? 
3% 
8% 
9% 
11% 
20% 
23% 
27% 
NGOs
Other political
groups
Religious leaders
International
community
Do not know
Criminals
Political leaders
Who is most harming the 
inter-ethnic cooperation?  
3% 
4% 
7% 
12% 
15% 
28% 
30% 
Religious leaders
Criminals
NGOs
Business
International
community
Do not know
Political leaders
Who is contributing most to the 
inter-ethnic in Kosovo and the 
South of Serbia? 
0% 
3% 
4% 
5% 
6% 
9% 
32% 
40% 
Turkey
OSCE
Germany
USA
NATO
Do not know
EU
Russia
Which international actor has contributed most to stability 
and security in the region? 
30% 
27% 
28% 28% 28% 
29% 
8% 
10% 10% 
33% 33% 
31% 
KFOR EULEX OSCE
When should the following actors withdraw from Kosovo? 
Never
In a few years
Next year
It is high time
35% 
44% 
20% 
Do you believe the international community in Kosovo has 
contributed in fostering inter-ethnic relationship? 
Yes
No
Do not know
22% 
48% 
31% 
Do you expect there will be a violent escalation among 
different ethnic groups in Kosovo/Serbia next year? 
Yes
No
Do not know
2% 
16% 
19% 
21% 
43% 
Yes, certainly
Yes, probably
No, certainly not
Do not know
Probably not
Looking at the next five years, do you think there is a chance 
that there will be an armed conflict somewhere in the 
Balkans? 
4% 
8% 
20% 
21% 
22% 
25% 
Support financially
Join them in armed conflict
Does not know
Put pressure on our government to
represent them
Accept refugees
Do nothing
If Serbs living in another country of the 
region would be affected by conflict, you 
would…? 
 
Do you think it is possible for 
Serbs and Albanians to live 
peacefully in Kosovo?  
12% 
13% 
24% 
26% 
26% 
37% 
39% 
24% 
Is the long lasting peace 
among Serbs and Albanians 
possible? 
 
Possible
Impossible
Does not
know
Maybe possible 
 
 
Impossible 
 
Possible, but 
with problems 
 
 
Can not decide 
 
Yes, it is 
possible 
45% 
45% 
75% 
78% 
80% 
What is important for improving 
interethnic relations between 
Serbs and Albanians? 
Increased security 
 
Economic 
improvement 
 
 
Political agreements 
 
 
Sports activities 
 
Language knowledge 
of the other 
6% 
7% 
9% 
13% 
14% 
18% 
32% 
Measures for increasing trust and 
confidence between ethnic groups 
  Free movement across borders 
 
Members of one community visiting other 
communities 
 
Visits by high profile Serbian politicians to 
Kosovo 
 
   Other 
Protection of the rights of Serbs in Kosovo* 
 
Better cooperation among security 
institutions 
 
    Support for trade and business 
42% 
61% 
62% 
69% 
73% 
74% 
76% 
79% 
Priorities for Belgrade-Prishtina cooperation 
Police and security operation 
 
Trade and economic cooperation 
 
Facilitating contact among ordinary people 
 
Development of road infrastructure 
 
Arrest of war criminals 
 
Emergency management 
 
Cultural exchange 
 
Joint representation abroad 
54% 
55% 
67% 
68% 
Priorities for cooperation between 
Serbia and Albania 
Police and security 
cooperation 
 
Trade and economic 
cooperation 
 
Emergency management 
 
 
Cultural exchange 
2% 
20% 
26% 
17% 
35% 
1% 
14% 
17% 
23% 
44% 
Excellent, no need for
improvement
Not good, but we do not need
to cooperate with them
Do not know
Good, but improvement is
needed
Not good, but we need to start
cooperating
How would you evaluate security cooperation between...? 
Belgrade and Prishtina
Serbia and Albania
60% 
21% 
19% 
Should there be joint border patrols between Kosovo Police and Serbian 
Police? 
Yes
No
Do not know
39% 
34% 
27% 
Kosovo*, Serbia and Albania shall jointly be part of the regional security 
trainings? 
Agree
Disagree
Undecided
59% 
21% 20% 
57% 
23% 
20% 
Yes No Do not know
In case of natural hazards, Serbia should accept assistance from... 
Kosovo*
Albania
PUBLIC OPINION IN KOSOVO 
Florian Qehaja 
Kosovar Center for Security Studies 
Would you mind living next to a Serbian family? 
General public perception 
17% 
74% 
9% 
Yes No Don't know
40% 
55% 
5% 
Yes No Don't know
Perceptions of Serbs (the 
opposite) 
Slightly positive 
attitude among 
Albanians/Pessimistic 
among Serbs 
 
People who lived 
before together had 
less problem to do the 
same 
The dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade should be carried on... 
.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Only if it
increases
possibility of
joining the EU
No matter if
there is a
pressure from
the EU or not
It should not
be carried on
at all
No opinion
55% 
19% 22% 
4% 
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
Only if it
increases
possibility of
joining the EU
No matter if
there is a
pressure from
the EU or not
It should not be
carried on at all No opinion
18% 
36% 37% 
9% 
Public Perception in General 
Perception of Serbs 
Do you think it is possible for Albanians/Serbs to live peacefully in Kosovo? 
42% 
27% 
4% 
9% 
19% 
.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
34% 
40% 
9% 
9% 
8% Yes it is
possible
It is possible
but there are
problems
Undecided
General Table 
Perception of Serbs 
 
Looking at the next five years, do you think there is a chance that there will be an armed conflict 
somewhere in the Balkans? 
5% 
23% 
28% 
36% 
9% 
Yes, certainly
Yes, probably
No, probably not
No, certainly, not
Refuse/Do not know
10% 
17% 
27% 16% 
30% 
Yes, certainly
Yes, probably
No, probably
not
General Table 
Perceptions of the serbs 
Do you expect in the next year a violent escalation among different ethnic groups in Kosovo? 
18% 
67% 
15% 
Yes No Don't know
12% 
67% 
20% 
1% 
Yes
No
Don't know
Refuse to respond
General Table 
Perceptions of the Serbs 
Optimistic feature: Both communities having similar 
opinion 
Do you think ongoing dialogue between Prishtina-Belgrade will improve inter-ethnic relations? 
38% 
60% 
2% 
Yes No Don't know
59% 
31% 
10% 
Yes No Don't know
General table 
Perceptions of Serbs 
Who is benefiting from the ongoing dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade? 
19% 
34% 
10% 
6% 
25% 
6% 
43% 
2% 
1% 1% 
6% 
28% 
19% 
Kosovo more
than Serbia
Serbia more
than Kosovo
Albanians from
Kosovo
Serbs from
Kosovo
General table 
Perceptions of Serbs 
Do you think there should be joint border patrols between Kosovo Police and Serbian Police? 
Yes
No
Don't know
63% 
31% 
6% 
58% 27% 
15% 
Yes No Don't know
General table 
Perceptions of Serbs 
Optimistic finding by both 
communities 
PUBLIC OPINION IN ALBANIA 
Arjan Dyrmishi 
Institute for Democracy and 
Mediation 
Thinking about this meeting/talking with the Serb what 
was your impression about him/her 
43% 
11% 
30% 
16% 
  
1.      We have more things in
common than different,
2.      differences among us are
larger than things in common,
3.      Don’t know,  
4.      Refused
Would you mind living next to a Serbian family? 
27% 
48% 
25% 
1.      Yes
2.      No
3.      Don’t know 
28% 
53% 
19% 
Yes
No
Do not know
Would you marry or allow member of your 
family to marry a Serb 
The dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade 
should be carried on...  
27% 
44% 
6% 
23% 
1.      Only if it increases
possibility of joining the EU
2.      No matter if there is a
pressure from the EU or not
3.      It should not be
carried on at all
4.      No opinion
Do you think it is possible for Albanians and Serbs 
to live peacefully in Kosovo?  
32% 
36% 
11% 
16% 
5% 
Yes it is possible
It is possible but there are
problems
Undecided
Maybe
Impossible
If Albanians living in another country of the region would 
be affected by conflict, would you be ready? 
11% 
10% 
37% 
29% 
3% 
8% 
2% 
  
to join them in armed
conflict
to support their cause
financially
to accept refugees
to put pressure on our
government to represent
them
other
do not know
Would you personally support the creation of 
greater Albania? 
47% 
23% 
21% 
9% 
Yes
No
Do not know
Refuse to answer
56% 
13% 
31% 
Yes
No
Don't know
Is the long lasting peace among Serbs and 
Albanians possible? 
Who is benefiting from the ongoing dialogue 
between Prishtina and Belgrade? 
13% 
8% 
5% 
3% 
6% 
49% 
1% 
15% Kosovo more than Serbia
Serbia more than Kosovo
Albanians from Kosovo
Serbs from Kosovo
European Union
Kosovo and Serbia are
both benefiting
Kosovo and Serbia are
both loosing
Don't know
9% 
48% 
32% 
2% 
9% 
Our cooperation is not good
but we don't need to
cooperate with them;
Our cooperation is not good,
we need to start building
good cooperation;
Our cooperation is good but
further improvement is
needed;
Our cooperation is excellent,
there is no need for further
improvement;
Don’t know 
With which of the sentences do you agree when it 
comes to developing security cooperation with Serbia?   


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