Kosovo situation "potentially explosive"

Western media see the current situation in Kosovo as unclear and potentially explosive with Pristina’s rejection of the UN plan for EULEX deployment. Ian Bancroft, one of the founders of the Transconflict organization, writes in London daily Guardian, that political and social tensions are increasing as a result of Pristina’s rejection of the UN plan. Kosovo situation "potentially explosive" He warned that the increase in tension is additionally complicating the relations between the ethnic communities in Kosovo. “With Kosovo's leaders refusing to accept the compromise proposal of the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, which Serbia supports and on which EULEX's deployment now depends, the EU's capacity to manage crises in the western Balkans is once again being brought into question,” Bancroft writes. “The intransigence of Kosovo's leaders with respect to Ban's compromise stems from the legitimization of their maximalist stance that proponents of independence have permitted throughout negotiations over Kosovo's status; constructive channels for dialogue, compromise and multilateralism having been fundamentally impaired by unilateralism and scant regard for international law,” he continued said, adding that the ramifications of this approach now threaten to undermine the very purpose and authority of EULEX, even before its deployment is fully complete. The EU's weak position shows that the UN role ought to be strengthened, instead of neglected, Bancroft concludes in his commentary. Meanwhile, Zurich daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung says, in an article entitled, "EU's Kosovo policy threatened with failure", that it is illogical to cooperate with EULEX and at the same time fail to recognize Kosovo Albanians' declaration of independence. The daily reminds that even the EU member-states that have not recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence proclamation have shown support for the EULEX plan - Spain, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia – because they were guaranteed that the mission would be of a technical nature. “With these consciously stated unclear diplomatic pronouncements, the fact that the main goal of EULEX is to strengthen the young legal state has been masked. In other words, EULEX cooperation without recognizing Kosovo is absurd,” the daily writes. It continues to state that the unclear situation is potentially explosive and that all unsolved questions need to be kept in mind, such as: what is more important, the functional multi-cultural structure in Kosovo or the continuous EU territory from Greece to Slovenia? The article states that neither the EU nor NATO are ready to enter an open conflict with Belgrade because of Kosovo’s north, which is populated by ethnic Serbs. “At the same time, during the fall, voices from international forums intensified in saying that Belgrade should not be impeded in the integration of northern Kosovo with Serbia: something of an award for the pro-European course of democratic President Boris Tadic,” the daily concludes.

Kosovo situation "potentially explosive"

He warned that the increase in tension is additionally complicating the relations between the ethnic communities in Kosovo.

“With Kosovo's leaders refusing to accept the compromise proposal of the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, which Serbia supports and on which EULEX's deployment now depends, the EU's capacity to manage crises in the western Balkans is once again being brought into question,” Bancroft writes.

“The intransigence of Kosovo's leaders with respect to Ban's compromise stems from the legitimization of their maximalist stance that proponents of independence have permitted throughout negotiations over Kosovo's status; constructive channels for dialogue, compromise and multilateralism having been fundamentally impaired by unilateralism and scant regard for international law,” he continued said, adding that the ramifications of this approach now threaten to undermine the very purpose and authority of EULEX, even before its deployment is fully complete.

The EU's weak position shows that the UN role ought to be strengthened, instead of neglected, Bancroft concludes in his commentary.

Meanwhile, Zurich daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung says, in an article entitled, "EU's Kosovo policy threatened with failure", that it is illogical to cooperate with EULEX and at the same time fail to recognize Kosovo Albanians' declaration of independence.

The daily reminds that even the EU member-states that have not recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence proclamation have shown support for the EULEX plan - Spain, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia – because they were guaranteed that the mission would be of a technical nature.

“With these consciously stated unclear diplomatic pronouncements, the fact that the main goal of EULEX is to strengthen the young legal state has been masked. In other words, EULEX cooperation without recognizing Kosovo is absurd,” the daily writes.

It continues to state that the unclear situation is potentially explosive and that all unsolved questions need to be kept in mind, such as: what is more important, the functional multi-cultural structure in Kosovo or the continuous EU territory from Greece to Slovenia?

The article states that neither the EU nor NATO are ready to enter an open conflict with Belgrade because of Kosovo’s north, which is populated by ethnic Serbs.

“At the same time, during the fall, voices from international forums intensified in saying that Belgrade should not be impeded in the integration of northern Kosovo with Serbia: something of an award for the pro-European course of democratic President Boris Tadić,” the daily concludes.