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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
In the Balkans, tensions escalate1 between Serbia and Kosovo
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to the Atlantic Council's Ilva Tare3 about why tensions are rising between Serbia and Kosovo, and NATO's pledge to increase peacekeepers in Kosovo if needed.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
NATO's secretary general says more peacekeepers will be moved to Kosovo if tensions with neighboring Serbia continue to escalate. That announcement came ahead of a rare face-to-face meeting between Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic today. Ilva Tare is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center and a former broadcaster in her native Albania. And she joins us now. Ilva, welcome.
ILVA TARE: Good morning, Leila. I'm delighted to talk to you.
FADEL: Thank you for being here. Now, the catalyst4 for this flare-up, this latest flare-up, was license5 plates. Kosovo's president gave ethnic6 Serbians in border areas an ultimatum7, demanding they turn in their Serb license plates for Kosovo ones, yes? But tensions have been high for some time, right? Can you walk us through where that is?
TARE: Well, as you rightly said, Leila, President - Serbian President Vucic and the Kosovo prime minister, Albin Kurti, were summoned to Brussels to an emergency summit after violence nearly broke out along Kosovo borders 19 days ago. The violence and the incident started after Kurti moved to put in place reciprocal measures, as Kosovo calls it, requiring Serbs living in Kosovo to carry Kosovo IDs and have Kosovo license plates on their cars. This is the practice that has been doing - that has been happening for Kosovo people for the last 15 years. So the tense situation led Mr. Kurti, under pressure from Western embassies, namely EU and U.S., to agree to postpone8 implementing9 the measures until September 1. So now they are in Brussels to try to work out a compromise so that things stay calm next month and even further. It is a very important meeting. I saw that, apart from the special representative, Lajcak, Deputy Assistant Secretary Escobar, who oversees10 Western Balkans, was present there, which shows the importance of the meeting and also the togetherness of the U.S. and EU in addressing such tension, situation in the Balkans.
FADEL: What do you expect to come out of this meeting?
TARE: My sources tell me that both sides are going into the meeting quite hostile. Differences are huge. We have to be hopeful. But most likely, there may be - difficult to have progress or an outcome. But still, this is important because, you know, it's not only about peace and stability at a time of crisis in Europe...
FADEL: Right. Yeah.
TARE: ...Which hangs in the balance. But is also, Europe's own credibility as a peacemaker is on the line. And also, considering the destabilizing influence that Russia has in the region, this is an important message to send to Russia and to its ally in the region - Serbia, namely. I just want to bring here what American ambassador Chris Hill has said lately about the position of Serbia. Despite Russia's influence on Serbia's energy sector11 and despite its pervasive12 disinformation efforts, Serbs have decided13 their future, and that is Europe and the West. So probably now the EU should do best to pressure and to make sure that Serbia is on the EU side, and the whole region has more faster progression towards EU integration14.
FADEL: That's Ilva Tare, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center. Thank you so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF TOR'S "LUX")
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1
escalate
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v.(使)逐步增长(或发展),(使)逐步升级 | |
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transcript
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n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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tare
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n.皮重;v.量皮重 | |
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catalyst
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n.催化剂,造成变化的人或事 | |
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license
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n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许 | |
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ethnic
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adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的 | |
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ultimatum
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n.最后通牒 | |
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postpone
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v.延期,推迟 | |
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implementing
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v.实现( implement的现在分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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oversees
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v.监督,监视( oversee的第三人称单数 ) | |
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sector
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n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形 | |
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pervasive
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adj.普遍的;遍布的,(到处)弥漫的;渗透性的 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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integration
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n.一体化,联合,结合 | |
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