“Kosova independent by summer”
By Daily Jutarnji List
Published: April 17, 2007
ZAGREB -- Ahtisaari’s deputy Albert Rohan says Kosova will be granted supervised independence, while Russia will not use its veto at the UN.
Rohan told Zagreb daily Jutarnji List he did not wish to speculate on whether Serbian and Russian efforts to delay the United Nations Security Council decision on Kosova’s future status would lead to incidents escalating into violence, creating “negative press” for the province’s Albanians.
However, Rohan told the newspaper he agreed the situation in Kosova, although currently stable, was so volatile any incident could spark off more serious violence.
“The sooner we have a decision, the better. We oppose unreasonable delays,” Rohan said.
Rohan explained he expected negotiations over a new Kosova resolution to take place during May, while the resolution itsel! ! f would be adopted at the end of that month.
“In any case, Kosova should be independent before the summer,” he added.
Rohan told the daily Ahtisaari’s proposal “had no alternative”, as well as that after eight years of uncertainty Kosova’s status needed to be resolved.
“Miloševiæ is the one who lost Kosova, everybody knows this. The fault is not with the current Serbian leadership and this fact needs to be faced at last,” Rohan said.
Rohan also said he did not believe Russia would reach for its veto in a council session discussing a new Kosova resolution.
“Permanent Security Council member states have been responsible in the past, rarely using their veto powers,” Rohan explained.
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Burns said: "USA will support a declaration of independence by the people of Kosova"
By Associated Press
Published: April 17, 2007
In a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, the Undersecretary of State said that the U.S. considers independence “the only option for the province,” the Associated Press reports.
Letting go of Kosova would allow Belgrade to move toward greater integration with Western Europe and beyond troubled relations with Washington, Burns said, while gesturing toward Ivan Vujaèiæ, Serbia's ambassador, who was sitting in the front row.
Burns said that the United States hoped that a plan proposed by chief United Nations envoy for Kosova, Martti Ahtisaari granting the province supervised statehood would be debated by the UN Security Council within weeks.
Under the proposal, Kosova would have interim period of international supervision with its own army, flag, anthem and constitution, before achieving full statehood.
"We are on the verge of a major development with the looming independence of Kosova as a new state in the international system," Burns said.
"It is very clear to the United States that the future of Kosova should be one of independence and we will lead the way as authors of a resolution that would allow that to happen."
Serbia has rejected the proposal and has been supported by Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power.
During a question period following Monday's speech, Ambassador Vujaèiæ (serb-origine) asked Burns, why the U.S. would not consider Serbia's proposals for extensive autonomy for Kosova.
"There is every reason to believe that that solution put forward by Russia, put forward by the Serb government itself, would lead to more violence, rather than less," Burns replied.
"You put forward the proposal of autonomy. We think that is 10 to 12 years too late," Burns said.
Vujaèiæ also asked Burns whether the United States would rule out unilateral recognition of Kosova.
The question is sensitive because some have suggested that if Russia carries out threats that it has made to veto a resolution on the Ahtisaari plan, other countries, including the United States, should recognize Kosova's independence anyway.
"We will support a declaration of independence by the people of Kosova," Burns said.
But he made clear that the United States expected that UN resolution would pass and that recognition would follow.
16 comments:
One has to look at the politics of the Security Council and the five permanent members to forecast the possibilities here.
Russia and China -->
RUSSIA: Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transdnestr, and South Ossetia.
CHINA: Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Dongbei (Manchuria), and Inner Mongolia.
All these regions are seperatist-minded, and a vote of "yea" for Kosova's independence by any of these two states could stir domestic unrest/confusion.
Arguments?
Regarding Russia
The world community has not recognized Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transdnestr, and South Ossetia. They emerged immediately after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and preserved their de facto independence over the past 15 years.
Their problem is becoming increasingly urgent, and not only because of the expected recognition of Kosova, which, as some experts believe, can create a precedent in this respect. Although formally the world community does not recognize the presidential elections in South Ossetia and Transdnestr, and a constitutional referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh, they point to a clear invigoration of political life in these republics.
Some experts perceive the expected Kosova precedent as a master key that can unlock any borders, and essentially wreck a system of frontiers in Europe and the rest of the world. More often then not, the notorious "right of a nation to self-determination, up to and including secession" becomes a weapon in the hands of political schemers and extremists. Abuse of this right is extremely dangerous everywhere, including Russia and its neighbors -- any successful example of separatism on post-Soviet territory can trigger off a domino effect.
If during a long period of time a self-proclaimed entity demonstrates the functioning of independent state institutions, observance of the rights of ethnic minorities, a consensus of its elites, economic self-sufficiency and cultural identity, if it moves towards independence peacefully and democratically, and on the basis of reasonable bargaining and compromise, there is an obvious opportunity for its international recognition as an independent and valid state.
I don't think this sets a precedent for other "break-away" regions.
Kosova was always a special case. An entire people (Albanians) were being exterminated from their homelands; call it what you want, genocide or whatever, but the goal of the Milosevic regime was to wipe them out - completely.
This was the X-factor bacause you don't have this in the regions you mention above. Russia and China are more adament about keeping their lands together rather than abusing and neglecting their population, such was the campaign the Serbs launched on Albanians leading to 1998.
Another thing. It's a lot easier for the West to deal forcefully with Serbia than it would be with Russia and China. There is no way NATO would have attacked any of these two nations. And bacause NATO supervised this region when they did, it presented us with a unique case.
WASHINGTON, United States -- A senior US diplomat said on Tuesday (April 17th) that the international community must move quickly to grant supervised independence to Kosova.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told a House of Representatives committee that failure to adopt UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for Kosova would "strengthen the hand of extremists and lead directly to new conflicts". He said the ethnic Albanian majority in the province would never agree to remain under Serbian rule.
Belgrade reacted strongly to Burns' statement, with President Boris Tadic insisting that any move towards independence would violate the UN Charter and the existing UN Resolution 1244. (Danas, Blic - 18/04/07; AP, AFP, Reuters, US State Department, Tanjug, RTS, Top-Channel, B92 - 17/04/07)
There is more to it than Russia/China and a resultion at the UN. Europe is also grappling with this, where the word "precedent" appears again.
Slovakia, Romania and Greece raise serious objections to EU endorsement of UN proposals for "supervised independence" for Kosova, with Spain, Italy and Cyprus also voicing reservations on the Balkan blueprint.
The EU malcontents are mostly countries which lie geographically close to Serbia and fear potential instability or which face separatist movements of their own and are wary of creating a precedent.
The situation means that when German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU top diplomat Javier Solana sit down with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Luxembourg on Monday evening they will not be able to say that 27 EU states back the Ahtisaari plan, EU diplomatic sources told EUobserver.
Speaking to Congress this week, the US' number three man on foreign affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, explained what the Ahtisaari plan means in practice.
"We expect that Kosova's leaders will subsequently declare their independence. The US and other countries will then recognize the new state," he said. "The United States, NATO, and the EU have invested enormous political, economic and military resources in Kosova and the region - we have the most significant equities at stake and therefore are most committed to seeing this process through."
"This is an aggressive and destructive stance, and it is an instance of a psychological attack on the UN security council," Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said after Mr Burns' speech, Russian media reports.
EU Observer
Tina, I thought you mentioned earlier in your post that Russia and China will be the main reasons for gridlock in the SC re Kosova. What are you eluding to now?
They are the key to the negotiations, but Europe also has its own internal problems that are being expressed here at the cost of Kosova and her long struggle. This just irritates me.
Taken from FREE KOSOVA blog:
A UN Security Council mission will visit Pristina and Belgrade at the end of April to assess the situation before deciding further. As is the norm during such important visits for the fate of
Kosovo, some poor old Serb woman's house will be blown up on the eve of the visit. I can already see AP and Reuters polishing their fill-in-the-blanks articles for such occasions. I would even bet you 10 to 1 that this will happen, but then I would be a suspect for having the motive.
To assess what situation?? If the delegates of this European mission do not know by now what Kosova is all about, then they never will!
How absurd is this; they keep finding ways to delay the process further by trying to dig up dirt on why Kosova is not ready for a final status, this is what their trip is all about.
But the people of Kosova will not stand for this silly nonsense, and YES, do expect violent confrontation when this delegation arrives because it should not be in teh hands of foreign nations how Kosova should and when be governed (remember what happened in 1878).
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!
I have to agree with you. The powers that be, huh? Let's hope the same mistakes that their forefathers made in the 17th Century are not repeated here again.
We need to get real people; Levizja "Vetevendosje" has been very vocal and active along these lines. The last few posts here touch upon their mission -- GET OUT AND LET US GOVERN OURSELVES!!!
Read some excerpts from their website:
"Pakoja e Ahtisaarit e ndan Kosovën. Kjo pako në vete ngërthen një autonomi të zgjeruar të komunave me shumicë serbe, autonomi kjo që do t’ua lejojë atyre një funksionim të ndarë nga pjesa tjetër e Kosovës. Këto komuna do të përdorin planprograme shkollore të Serbisë e jo ato në Kosovës. Ato do ta kenë sistemin e dytë shëndetësor i cili do të funksionojë ndaras nga ai i Kosovës, por i bashkuar me atë të Serbisë. Këto komuna do të kenë stacione të veta policore dhe do të ndikojnë në zgjedhjen e komandantëve policor. Ato do të kenë ndikim, si organe autonome, madje edhe në privatizimin e ndërmarrjeve shoqërore të cilat kanë rastisur të jenë pjesë e territorit të tyre. Pakoja e Ahtisaarit ua lejon këtyre komunave të themelojnë asociacione komunash përmes të cilave ato do të lidhen politikisht në mënyrë horizontale mes vete. Ndërkohë që madhësia e territorit që këto komuna do të ngërthejnë në vete, ua mundëson atyre lidhjen horizontale edhe në aspektin territorial."
Source: www.vetevendosje.org
"Govern Ourselves!" This is the damn mission -- self-determination is the end product of our struggle.
We are not asking no more than what the UN Charter spells out for our people, but the policymakers and socialist pundits interpret its language in order to suppress us and deny us outright control of our ancient homeland.
Malesia e Madhe mbi Shkodret, Ulqini, Plava, etc. is just one case, among other outlying territories.
What will Kosova do for these regions? How will Kosova frame the debate? What precedent, if any, will be conceived as a result of her independence? Will Albanians in these border territories follow suit? Who will take the initiative?
I am not proposing ethnic Albania here, all I want in self-determination where Albanians can determine their own fate and not be governed by institutions that discriminate againt them because they are not members of teh majority.
God-damn-it Albanians! STAND UP AND TAKE YOUR DIGNITY BACK!!
Its true ...
"The Security Council is sending a mission to Belgrade and Pristina so its ambassadors can get a clearer idea of the situation. Meanwhile, China has joined Russia in opposing "an imposed solution", though neither country has confirmed plans for a veto."
Source: SEE Times
Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci, who now heads the Democratic Party of Kosovo was known the 1990s to be part of a crime syndicate, involved in drug trafficking and prostitution. During the Clinton administration, he was a protégé of Madeleine Albright. In the 1990s, Thaci founded the so-called "Drenica-Group", a criminal syndicate based in Kosovo, with links to the Albanian, Macedonian and Italian mafias. These links to criminal syndicates have been acknowledged both by Interpol and the US Congress.
Kosova recognition is fantastic issue. Now I and my fellows can promise you that we will smuggling everything what can you imagine, drugs, prostitution will be all over you. Of course much chipper and tax free. Long live Kosova
That's boring; why don't you and your friends do something that won't land your dumb-asses in jail?
But then again, perhaps its a good thing that you do this, Kosova would be better off with you and your friends in jail being sodomized by crimanls such as yourselves.
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