The head of a European think-tank warned on Wednesday that the talk of changing borders could cause a conflict in the Balkans.

European Stability Initiative (ESI) Director Gerald Knaus said that the debate on changes to the borders of Serbia and Kosovo is dangerous enough to be the cause of a new conflict in the region.  

“The idea that the best solution for minority problems is to remove the minority by changing borders was always dangerous. That method creates new conflicts in the Balkans and takes us back to the 1980s when the politicians of the former Yugoslavia discussed borders and ethnic issues instead of reforms. We all know how that ended,” Knaus is quoted as saying by the Independent Balkan News Agency (IBNA).  

“The fate of Serbs in Kosovo and Albanians living in Serbia should not depend on their governments,” Knaus added.