Skopje – Macedonian foreign minister Antonio Milososki's statement that the country may follow the US and some EU countries and recognise Kosovo's independence, in the event of the issue not being resolved in the UN Security Council, has surprised few in Skopje.
Milososki was quoted as saying that if efforts to resolve the issue in the UN Security Council fail and influential members of NATO and EU start recognising Kosovo, Macedonia should seriously consider such a move.
Security expert Biljana Vankovska told Balkan Insight that the minister`s statement came as no surprise as "Plan B was always that if the Ahtisaari plan is not accepted in the UN, the US will recognise Kosovo and secure support for such a move from countries in the region".
"Thus, we can expect that Macedonia will abide by the US position as it is waiting for an invitation to become a NATO member and both the current and the former government have pledged they will follow the US lead on Kosovo," said Vankovska.
The US is seen as a major ally, especially after the US recognition of Macedonia`s constitutional name, which Greece has long disputed, and the US support for Macedonia`s bid to join NATO.
The UN`s special representative Martti Ahtisaari has proposed supervised independence for Kosovo. While Pristina has endorsed the plan, Belgrade has flatly rejected it offering broad autonomy for the province.
Although Skopje`s official position has been that the country will support a solution acceptable to both sides that would not endanger Macedonia`s territorial integrity and sovereignty, Macedonian officials have not dismissed the possibility that Skopje would be among the first countries to recognise Kosovo, in case no solution is found in the UN.
Former state secretary for foreign affairs Emil Kirjas says that the matter should be resolved as soon as possible as "any delay to resolve the Kosovo issue will have negative impact not only on Kosovo but for the entire region".
Kirjas also said that "if our main allies in NATO and EU decide to unilaterally recognise Kosovo, then Macedonia should seriously consider that option".
While Kirjas does not expect such a move will have severe consequences for Macedonian-Serbian relations, Vankovska says support for Kosovo will open the door for additional problems with Serbia mainly in regard to Macedonia`s identity.
2 comments:
Of course they should. There are 800,000 Albanians in Macedonia, with ample representation in Parliament (except for Ali Ahmeti).
Can you imagine the lobby group there?
I remember when Macedonia declared indepenece, Albania (Sali Berisha was president then) was the first country to recognize Macedonia -- leaving 800,000 Albanians to their fate. That son-of-a-bitch should have waited and demanded security of their rights and place before declaring that.
Now its pay-back for Macedonia.
It's about time to recognize the historical right of Kosova to have its destiny fulfilled-That is full independence. Kosova never was a Serbian province. It was there, since the times of birth of European civilization, a very distinct Dardanian/llyrian identity. Always populated by Dardanias who, although under constant pressure of forcefully migration by Serbian shovinism, Tito's Yugoslavia & Milloshevic's Serbia, still make up 92% of the population. Serbs always have been a minority there. We know that Serbs appeared in Balkans (then llyria) only by the 6th Century AD. They have always been a minority and 'the story' of Kosova being the Heartland of Serbia is just a pure Serbian nationalist fantasy. Facts Speak Louder Than Words and Serbian’s Lies Will Collapse by Themselves. Serbs always have been considered as oppressors there, not just by Albanian majority, but also by other ethnic groups too. Serbs just occupied Kosova during the rise of the Serbian nationalism early 20th century from Ottomans, who by then were loosing the Balkans after 500 years of occupation. Now Kosova should be Free!
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