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Thursday, February 28 2008

Interview - What kind of recognition for Kosovo?

Rather than independence, I was more interested in the issue of recognition. What are the principles that support the recognition of Kosovo? Which sovereignty for the inhabitants of Kosovo? For a better understanding, I met with Barbara Delcourt, author of “Droit et souverainetés. Analyse critique du discours européen sur la Yougoslavie” (Law and sovereignties. A critical analysis of the European speech on Yugoslavia) PIE/Peter Land editions.

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Friday, January 11 2008

The resolution of Serbia’s Parliament

With a very large majority (220 for, 13 against and 1 abs.), Serbia’s Parliament has adopted a resolution on the preservation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. All international treaties signed by Serbia with the European Union, including the Stabilization and Association Agreement, will have to respect these principles. Serbia will break its diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes Kosovo’s statehood. The army “is ready to defend the citizens of Kosovo” reports the Balkan Post.

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Wednesday, December 26 2007

Summit to discuss EU involvement in Kosovo

As a result of a summit held on 14th December that brought together the 27 heads of state or government that form the European Union, the EU has “underlined the need to move towards a legislative agreement with regards the issue of Kosovo, an agreement which is vital for the stability of the region”, indicating that Kosovo “as a result of this agreement, ought to be democratic and multiethnic, in agreement with the legally constituted state and the protection of minority groups and cultural and religious heritage”.


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Tuesday, December 18 2007

The EU and Kosovo

On the 10th December, the European Council met to discuss the Western Balkans; a meeting which brought together Foreign and/or European Affairs Ministers from across the EU. The Council reached the following conclusions regarding Kosovo, “important steps need to be taken in order to strengthen the status of legally constituted state, the fights against corruption and organized crime, as well as in order to improve dialogue between communities. The Council made clear that it is essential to continue with the effective implementation of norms in Kosovo, in particular with regards to the protection of minority groups and of sites of noted historical and religious importance. The resolution of the issue surrounding the status of Kosovo will facilitate the implementation of anticipated reforms. The European Union will continue to assume responsibilities within Kosovo”.   

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Tuesday, December 11 2007

An impartial document

According to news agencies, the Russian-American-European “Troika” charged with negotiating the outline of the future statute of Kosovo will submit on 7th December next year an impartial document to the Secretary General of the United Nations. A text without proposals, but which will contain suggestions made as much with the Albanians in mind as the Serbians, as well as ideas from the “Troika”.

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Tuesday, December 4 2007

Last round : No miracle !

There has been no miracle after these 120 days of negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade on the definition of a status in Kosovo. No agreement came out of these three last days of hectic negotiations in Baden near Vienna, Austria. No independence or even autonomy. No settlement on the status. Only remain the international protectorate and fears for the future.

 

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Monday, November 26 2007

New proposal, new refusal

After the Hong Kong model, Belgrade proposes the idea of autonomy based on the Åland model. The autonomous province of Åland of which the main part of the population speaks Swedish is under Finnish sovereignty. Pristina refuses this model. The  freshly elected Kosovo Prime Minister Ashim Thaci focuses on modalities of a proclamation of independence and its recognition.

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Wednesday, November 21 2007

W. Ischinger proposes a « neutral status »

Wolfgang Ischinger, European mediator of the American Russian European troika for finding a solution to the future status of Kosovo, proposes a ‘neutral status” for the talks that took place on November 20 in Brussels between Belgrade and Pristina. For once, Pristina and Belgrade agree: the two parties rejected the proposition right away, though for different reason, each one standing for his own conception of the Serbian province mainly inhabited with Albanians.

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Monday, November 12 2007

Belgrade proposes Hong Kong

During the fourth round of direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina taking place in the Austrian capital, Belgrade officially proposed to take Hong Kong as a model to define the future status of Kosovo. Pristina declined the offer, the Serbian media B92.com reports.

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Tuesday, November 6 2007

Like the two German states

Agencies report that Wolfgang Ischinger, the EU mediator to the troika, made a new proposal to the Albanian and Serbian delegations concerning Kosovo's future status, inspired by the agreements between the two German states, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).


Photo : Wolfgang Ischinger

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