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Anniversary of Kosovo's independence

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Scholarly Pursuits
Forum Name: Current Affairs
Forum Discription: Debates on topical, current World politics
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26673
Printed Date: 28-Mar-2024 at 11:37
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Topic: Anniversary of Kosovo's independence
Posted By: Yugoslav
Subject: Anniversary of Kosovo's independence
Date Posted: 25-Feb-2009 at 09:07
In Kosovo, anniversary of independence is greatly celebrated, with only minor anti-Serb incidents including several beatings and removal of the UNMIK & Serb flags in the southern Serb municipality of Strpce and replacing them with the flag of Albania.

In the northern city of Zvecan, political representatives of the Kosovo Serb people and the state of Serbia hold a large gathering of the Community-Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo Metohija on which they again dismiss Kosovo's independence and confirm the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, while in several sights in Serbia and neighboring Srbska and Montenegro, right-wing extremists & ultra-nationalists hold minor protests. The Serbian political leaders further issue notes of protest and remind that the country remains opposed to Kosovo's independence and on the diplomatic struggle against it. Serbian Foreign Policy is on an offensive to gather written assurances from most of the world's countries (that haven't recognized Kosovo's independence thusfar) that they won't recognize Kosovo's independence before the decision of the International Court of Justice in 2010.

After 1 year of Kosovo's independence, its successes in general towards recognition are by large a dissapointment. Only a bit more than 50 countries recognize it, with realization of diplomatic ties going even slower - and the preelectoral promise and announcement of Kosovo-independence supporters and Kosovar politicians was that at least 100 countries will recognize it within 1 month. Kosovo has not achieved membership in any real international organization in the meantime either.

According to the report of the Human Rights Watch, the policy towards minorities in Kosovo still has not changed. The Kosovo Parliament has managed to in a maestral way adopt all of the 200+ of its first laws, by large the work of Martti Ahtisaari, except those referring to the minorities, especially the return of property usurped and confiscated from non-Albanian refugees. Up to 2004, the sympathesizers of an independent Kosovar state on the international scene have supported the attitude first standards, then independence, after the violent anti-Serb pogroms and the situation in general, they changed to first independence, then standards. Kosovo has finished a decade of international protectorate and NATO occupation, and the first anniversary after its independence, there is still no trace of those standards.

The Government of Kosovo is introducing new measures - the Kosovo Police will arrest any Serbian official who enters the territory of Kosovo without their permission. This will especially be controversial when the Serbs take over the Serbia-Kosovo border (uh, pardon, "administrational line") on both sides as it is planned to soon occur. The Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija itself is seated in the Kosovo Mitrovica. The Serbian politicians support opening some form of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, while the Kosovo Government makes it clear that there can be no discussion before Serbia formally recognizes Kosovo's independence. The Kosovo Albanians boycott and refuse to implement the 6 Point Plan of Serbia & the UN, which enabled the introduction of EULEX, and are encouraged to that by some of their Western allies. Serbia continues to insist on the plan's implementation and has agreed with the Secretary-General that it must be implemented, while the Kosovo Government, which doesn't support any division or autonomy of any single part of the territory it claims, strongly opposes the plan. The plan is supposed to give broad autonomy and privileges to the Serbs & other non-Albanians in Kosovo.

What is your general assessment of the situation so far and the near future?


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"I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."



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