evidence: Kosovo-Serbia Territorial Exchange: Timing, Extent, and International Reactions [...] The main incentive for both Serbia and Kosovo to come to an agreement on these territories is the understanding that this is a prerequisite for admission to the European Union.23 Beyond that, Kosovo has a strong interest in gaining diplomatic recognition from Serbia, which so far has refused to recognize the new country as anything other than an alienated part of Serbia. While President Vučić has made statements which have been interpreted as opening the door to such recognition, Serbia’s Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić responded to a question in October 2018 by saying, "I think this is the year we will recognize Kosovo for what it is –the autonomous province of the Republic of Serbia. It’s not an open question, absolutely not."24 One cannot assume, however, that this is the Serbian government’s final position. Politicians routinely make statements for specific audiences and Brnabić’s statement may have been intended to reassure Serbs, rather than to emphasize Serbian intransigence or to play "bad cop" against Vučić’s "good cop" as part of a negotiating strategy.