Ahtisaari in UN today

Blag, if Albania is the poorest country in Europe, Serbia stands right behind it. According to IMF data for 2006, the GDP per capita based on the purchasing power parity, for Albania is $5817.5 and for Serbia $5713.4. Inflation, for Albania is 3% while for Serbia is a whooping 9.7%. Current account balances (import vs export) for Albania is -5.8% of the GDP, while is -9.7% for Serbia. In every indicator Albania, ranks better than Serbia. Here's the IMF site: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/02/data/weoselgr.aspx

Kosova's economic prospects are even better than Serbia's, and it would be better to reorient itself economically with Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, towards EU, and away from the black hole that is Serbia. As far as roads and transportation, it can benefit from the new Adriatic-Ionian highway (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=401251), that entirely bypasses Serbia, going through Montenegro and Croatia, as well as European routes E65/E80 and E851.

The new Durres-Kukes highway that will be finished in 2009 (http://www.mpptt.gov.al/lajme/shkurt4.php), will bring Kosova within two hours of the port of Durres and international shipping lines. That highway currently being built by BECHTEL/ENKA, entered a new phase last week with the start of works in the Kalimash tunnel, 5.6Km long that will also be one of the longest tunnels in the Balkans. The proximity to the sea is a blessing for trade in Kosova. By contrast, a landlocked country such as Serbia, can only trade with countries immediately adjacent to it, and considering the fact that Serbia is hated anywhere in ex-Yugo, it can only trade with Romania and Bulgaria. Pretty depressing indeed.

Kosova will certainly benefit from the new AMBO pipeline (http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070131/481/xbg10501311507), that will transport cheap Kaspian Oil through the Balkans from Burgas to Vlora.

And finally, the present energy situation in the Balkans, after the EU ordered Bulgaria to close two nuclear reactors, makes it very favorable for Kosova to develop its energy production capacities and become an electricity exporter. Kosova doesn't need to export its coal, it can turn it into electricity in place and with record high electricity prices, it's in a position to make a very good profit. Kosova will also make a very good profit by putting very high taxes on the Serbvian products that enter the country. On the other hand, high taxes on Serbian products will stimulate the internal production.

The events over the last couple of days have had a big impact on both conflicting groups, Serbs and Albanians, the proposal being rejected ensuring no Kosovo breakaway occurs and the proposal being warmly welcomed and insistence towards the finalisation of status, respesctively.

Skimming through the proposal quickly, it is obvious that the word independence was not quoted, but, analysing the proposal thoroughly, the pure conclusions with regard to what will happen next can be seen clearly.

Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality, even though I believe it is a real pain in the neck to actually agree with such a occurrence. But, bearing in mind that Serbia is very pro-EU than I in my view this is the only way for a healthy intergration to EU. Backing Ahtisaari's plan in the short run might cause disappoinments in the Serbia, but in the long run benefits will outweigh the dissapoinment created with Kosovo's independence.

It is evident that Kosovo and Serbia cannot cope together under the same roof. There not enough room for both of them.

Being very logical and strategic about this proposal will place the last jigsaw of Yugoslavia break down in its own palce. Therefore, the stability in Balkans and the whole South-East Europe will be the fundamental grounding for a bright future for both nations.

Lets hope plan B-an Ki-Moon is more agreeable. It would seem that this new plan is a poorly kept secret in the same vein as plan A-thisarri but at least it reconfirms 1244.

someone is getting nervous, and it´s not the Serbs.

since Condy in the white house fears a breakdown in KiM... it seems like they are starting to see reality... Putin was wise enough to withdraw his military from KiM...


the mere fact that there are coming Solana, Rehn and Steinmeier together to Belgrade, shows how desperate they are about the independence issue...

interesting times to come!

Kreshnik: "Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality"

Why?? Would any nation accept 15% of its sovereign territory being carved off by the 'international community' and dished out like a reward? Of course not.

As for your comment about Serbia and Kosovo unable to live 'under the same umbrella' - aren't you missing the point that they actually are a single country already?

The UN is in a real dilemma. Granting Kosovo & Metohija independence would mean that other "troubled" hotspots around the world would have be debated. Look no further than Republika Srpska. The Russians are the wild card because they expect to get parts of Georgia if they go ahead and allow Kosovo to break away.

This whole thing is a disaster. All of the borders in the Former Yugoslavia were fictional and somehow the International community (lead by the U.S. and UK) took those borders as the ALMIGHTY truth. I could go more in depth about why this is all so wrong, but after almost 16 years of this and having no power to chnage things, many people like myself have become apathetic to the whole political process. All I can say is cudos to the EU and US for allowing a Pariah State to take shape in the middle of Europe. Appeasment of the Muslim groups throughout Western Europe will only embolden these groups in Bosnia and Kosovo as well. So go ahead, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done in allowing Kosovo to happen....

Princip,

The interpreation of UNSC 1244 is not that "black&white".
The preamble of the UNSC Resolution 1244 cited the ritual affirmation of the commitment of all member states to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and Annex 2 of the Resolution. Crucially, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY was conditioned by the Helsinki Final Act and Annex 2 of the Security Council Resolution. The Helsinki Final act provides for the equal recognition of a state’s right to sovereignty and territorial integrity, and of a minority peoples’ right to self-determination. Annex 2 expressly places the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY within the context of the ‘interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo,’ and also noted the necessity of taking full account of the Rambouillet Accords.

Princip your “win-win”,”b-plan” , “ki-plan” , “secret plan” ,“Russian-veto” , “whatever –comes to your mind” assumption are product of your vivid imagination.
What happen to “Troika” visit and their plan? heheh

Aleksandër Gjoni - I guess in which case why is anyone bothering with plan A-thisarri. Maybe your happy with Status Quo !!!

i don't think serbia has to accept anything or sign anything. nor does it need to be constructive in the face of what is very clearly rape. it is interesting that everyone says it needs to be constructive (sorta like saying: "please help me rape you").

forget it. there is not a serious politician in serbia who will sign that paper AND get it ratified in the parliament.

BG need not listen to the FUD Masters (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). There will be no more bombing, no more sanctions, no more isolation. in fact there will be the opposite. the region cannot survive economically with a serbian hole in the center of it and the largest privatizations in serbia will all take place in 2007. these are facts and money talks not diplomats.

serbia's economy is ascendant. it is perfectly situated geographically. it is in possession of a wide array of exportable resources. and it has a large enough domestic market to make it a good spot for FDI. it's labor is cheap, well educated and overwhlemingly bi-lingal. it has a warm water port via montenegro (who will never block serbia as its kids go to college in BG and its citizens use the serb health care system)...although it doesn't even need that due to the danube.

the intn'l community has created a region of weak states all around serbia who ironically need serbia to economically evolve.

serbia should continue to do what is in its interests (resist kosovo; threaten to break BiH) and forget the FUD Masters. it is obvious that the west needs BG to accomodate their plans in Kosovo ("now that i have raped you, please hug me tonight") and continued accomodation on bosnia (where 61% of the population does not want to live -- there cannot be one law for kosovo and one law for bosnia).

concerning the famous "boris petrovich" that everyone brings up. i don't think boris even exists. if he is really from kosovo... why does he speak english so well? and why does he have an "h" at the end of his a name? it is only american serbs who put "h" at the end of their names. if he does exist, my apologies. i disagree with you entirely -- as does nearly the entire parliament of serbia.

to the commentator who spoke highly of albania's economy - one can say what one wishes. albania is the poorest country in europe. look it up on the internet.

to the same commentator who said serbia is like guatemala -- it is atosnishing that after 15 years of war and sanctions and 78 days of bombing that it is not like guatemala. serbia's economy is ascendant. the facts remain 6-8% growth in each of the last 4 years... and 6-8% growth predicted in each of the upcoming 4 years. that comes out to 40-50% growth.

again, i wish to point out no personal antangonism against the people of kosovo who have suffered terrible injustices at the hands of serbs. i simply wish that my people assume the best strategy available to them.

Princip, the point is that, for careful readers, even UNSC1244, which is now completely outdated, leaves some room for self-determination of Kosovars. This means - the independent state of Kosovo. Take it or leave it!

To Kate:

I agree with you, they are still technically one country but not practically.

Kosovo has its own government, president, PM and ministries which are recognised by wide range of countries.

Therefore, any decision made in Serbia concerning Kosovo, does not actually affect Kosovo - or at least not so far.

Going to your point about giving up 15% of its territory just because, as you quote 'international community' wants to do so. Well, I haven't missed any point, because Kosovo was given to Serbia but it never was initially serbian part. If it was treated like other parts of Yugoslavia I am more than confident that much of these issues wouldn't have happened.
But anyway I think is completely right for a victimised nation 'Kosovar Albanians' to stand up for their rights. And it just happened that the two nations didn't agree in their views and it lead to the war.

I hope this has been helpful in terms of clarification of some basic facts.

The fact that this issue is receiving ZERO airtime on Fox News in the US is a clear indication that this issue is not very important to the Bush regime.

Annex 2 expressly places the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY within the context of the ‘interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo,’ and also noted the necessity of taking full account of the Rambouillet Accords.
(Aleksandër Gjoni, 8 February 2007, 14:16)

Yes, under Rambouillet it was substantial autonomy granted for Kosovo,not independance.

Kreshnik: "Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality"

Why?? Would any nation accept 15% of its sovereign territory being carved off by the 'international community' and dished out like a reward? Of course not.
(Kate, 8 February 2007, 13:59)

Serbia will not be signatory to any agreement that violates UNSC 1244 which guarantees the territorial integrity of Kosovo and it's borders within Serbia.

If Agim Ceku and the UCK/KLA wanted independance , in 1999 they should have kept fighting, we keep hearing how they won the war.

Secondly, no Serbian politican will sign a document precluding independance to Kosovo-Metohija, Russia has given Serbia a free hand to carve out a solution with Pristina.

Unilateral independance will be political suicide for Agim Ceku and his protectorates-Northern Cyprus is an example of that.

As a Albanian, i have to agree that the best solution, is in fact autonomy. Economic wise, it will have the best outcome for all Kosovos people. We need to learn to put the past behind us and come together.

About Serbian economy.

The ‘official’ version is that Serbia, since the fall of Milosevic’s Socialists in 2000, has boomed with the move to a free-market economy!

The reality is different.

GDP is still only 60% of the 1989 level. Unemployment is 31.6%. About 40% live at or below the poverty line.

Albanians doesn’t want to be part of the “Serbian prosper economy”!

To pity pseudo-albanian "ASHPET"!!!

Serbs should try other nicknames.

I’ve been following the Yugoslavia desitegration story for a long, long time. It has been a painful story, full of lies and deception. It is hard to believe that it happened at the end of the 20th century.

Anyway, looking at the economic improvements Serbia has been experiencing for the last couple of years, and not being a Serb, I truly believe that Serbia will actually be the one liberated if Kosovo finally gets it’s independence.

It is unfair, and possibly illegal, but objectively Kosovo, notwithstanding all it’s historical meaning to the Serb people, is just a piece of land that is costing too much energy and money. I understand the feelings, but I am sure Serbia will be better off without Kosovo.

Finally, I will take issue with the comparison between Serbia and Guatemala. Guatemala is a poor country, that has suffered a great deal under many cruel dictators sponsored by the US and the CIA. A better comparison is Panama. It’s economy is growing after many years of isolation and mismanagement by the populist government of General Noriega. Noriega is now in jail in the US and I have yet to meet somebody in Panama who feels sorry for him. This is no justification for the killing of civilians that ocurred during the invasion of Panama by the US, but my point is that countries can overcome these terrible events and move forward. I have no doubt that in ten years, Serbia will not want Kosovo back even if the return is imposed by the so called International community (= US).

Jarina:

All of these things you say are only "somewhat" true.

First these are '05 numbers. we now live in '07. your numbers do not take into effect two years of 8% growth. nor do they even take into consideration anticipated growth of 8% in the coming years.

Second, the numbers are the result of 15 yrs of war, sanction, and 78 days of bombing. They are not the result of some systemic problem within the Serbian economy or some endemic problem. they are the result of the above issues. when the above disappears... the problems disappear. 3 of the 4 weak states i speak of have systemic and endemic problems that have not been overcome in 15-17 years. and this means there is reason to believe that they will never be overcome.

third, the important measure is not the numbers from 2005, but the trend. The trends are very positive. To say they do not exist does not help your cause (if it's sunny outside... it's sunny. it really doesn't help your cause to say it's raining because you are the only one carrying an umbrella).

here's an example for you of the disparity in the two economies:

serbia sold its mobile license in october (one of two) for 1.8B euros. it sold it in the middle of these "negotiations" and with "mladic on the loose." kosovo sold its mobile license last week for 99M euros.

i understand your heated emotions and i respect your patriotism (we should all be patriots). i have learned very much from the writings of kreshnik (though i don't agree with him all the time) in fact, i have always said that kosovo albanians suffered horribly at the hands of serbs in the 90's (any serb who does not admit that lives in a fantasy world). but your statements simply do not correspond to reality.

In a very short period of time I am going to present both sides with the DEFINITIVE economic response to many of the silly economic arguments that have taken place on this website. Neither land size nor population nor political status are the determining factors to whether a state/territory/country is capable of developing and sustaining a modern 21st century economy capable of producing high end goods and services in a high tech interdependent world economy.All of your arguments on Kosovo's political status are one thing but the economic ones are something else.I will present the economics when I have more time but for now I have papers to grade from students who are going to be high wage earners in the world economy and unfortunately many who are going to be not so high earners.It is individual talent that determines the net worth of your labor.

Kosovo can't function without Serbia’s acceptance of the final solution. The only railroad and the only two road
links between Kosovo and the heart of Europe go across Serbia. All other
alternative transit routes, through Montenegro, Albania, or Macedonia, are
taking Kosovo away from Europe, not into it.

It should enhance respect within the EU for democratic Serbia if Serbia stands by its borders in line with the UN charter. Afterall, the UK went to the Falklands over a lesser matter. On the other hand, it would also strengthen Serbia if Mladic would hand himself in - Serbia's tarnished image could then become much better polished.

i think those who are saying that 1244 is outdated are being blinded by reality or they suffer from delusion or hallucination. for a law or resolution to be invalidated it needs another law/resolution to repeal/amend/nullify it. in this case there's nothin yet except the product of delusion and hallucinations.

There have been many comments lately from Serbian posters claiming that no country would agree to lose 15% of its territory, I wonder what these people mean by “losing territory”

Practically you have lost Kosovo in 1999 when the entire Serbian state apparatus was expelled. The only reason why your argument is still valid is the infamous provision in 1244 which states that Serbia’s territorial integrity is to be respected.

Don’t you think that before making any argument about keeping Kosovo, you should first apologize to the victims of 1999 and compensate the billions of dollars in damages?

Don’t you think you should apologize to the families of the missing persons and help in unveiling their fate?

How do you intend to keep Kosovo under Serbian borders when its entire population is unwilling to even consider it?

How do you envisage such a relationship between Kosovo and Serbia would work?

What would be the benefits of such a relationship, while considering that we do not want to have anything to do with you, either economically or politically?

You may delay Kosovo’s independence but that is about all you can do DELAY.

----------------------

Kate,

You claim that Kosovo and Serbia are a single country. This just about sums up your intentions towards Kosovo.

All you really want is for Kosovo to appear as part of Serbia in future maps. Despite the fact that your insistence will have very serious consequences for the people of both Kosovo and Serbia, who will always remain locked in conflict with each other.

You are willing to sacrifice stability and peace just so that you can keep your present borders, which are at this point only imaginary since you have no jurisdiction in Kosovo and Kosovo has its own borders.

Saving face is not a good enough reason to keep hostage 2 million people.

Yea Serbs will compensate...as soon as NATO rebuilds everything they destroyed in 1999...By the way, you may want to ask them to compensate damages done in Kosovo because they did all the damage. Get your facts straight!

Luciano,

It would be interesting to hear your take on the economic development potential of Kosovo & Metohija as a disputed region that could never formalise it's property rights following either an imposed one sided solution or an illegal unilateral declaration.

Or do you not agree an Independent Kosovo/Kosova/Dardania/illyria/Whatevernext! has little future economically. Given that modern economics centered on capitalism is controlled not by the market but the power, political and economic, lies with the globalised elite in developing countries who are often employed or bullied by western multinationals, and who run those countries for the maximum extractive benefit of the west. We import their raw commodities at rock bottom prices, and export back to them manufactured goods at the highest price possible; we restrict their manufactured exports and we charge high levels of interest on their debts.

Interested to see where you are coming from.

Princip-there are different economic scenarios in which Kosovo could function.Even if it never exports a dollar worth of goods if there are 500k Albanians in the EU and the US making billions of dollars from all activities(legal and illegal) and they remit a large amount to their brethren in Kosovo then you can see how one illegal enterprise in New York earning millions of dollars can by itself support thousands of people in Kosovo.The official Albanian economy is small in comparison to the UNOFFICIAL one and Albanians do not like to pay taxes to any government-whether it be in Albania-US-UK etc.On the other hand look at Luxembourg which is a landlocked country with an area of 998 sq.mi (25% of Kosovo's)500k people but with the highest per capita in Europe.Or look at the case of Hong Kong which has NEVER been an independent state but under British rule for over 100 years until 1997 and research WHY today it has a per capita higher than the UK as a whole.It is neither land area nor population nor political status but the PRODUCTIVITY of your people that determines prosperity in the 21st century.Low taxation to attract capital-universal education and training for your workforce and personal ambition and hard work coupled with an entreprenurial drive that propel a society to first world status.

Blag, if Albania is the poorest country in Europe, Serbia stands right behind it. According to IMF data for 2006, the GDP per capita based on the purchasing power parity, for Albania is $5817.5 and for Serbia $5713.4. Inflation, for Albania is 3% while for Serbia is a whooping 9.7%. Current account balances (import vs export) for Albania is -5.8% of the GDP, while is -9.7% for Serbia. In every indicator Albania, ranks better than Serbia. Here's the IMF site: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/02/data/weoselgr.aspx

Kosova's economic prospects are even better than Serbia's, and it would be better to reorient itself economically with Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, towards EU, and away from the black hole that is Serbia. As far as roads and transportation, it can benefit from the new Adriatic-Ionian highway (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=401251), that entirely bypasses Serbia, going through Montenegro and Croatia, as well as European routes E65/E80 and E851.

The new Durres-Kukes highway that will be finished in 2009 (http://www.mpptt.gov.al/lajme/shkurt4.php), will bring Kosova within two hours of the port of Durres and international shipping lines. That highway currently being built by BECHTEL/ENKA, entered a new phase last week with the start of works in the Kalimash tunnel, 5.6Km long that will also be one of the longest tunnels in the Balkans. The proximity to the sea is a blessing for trade in Kosova. By contrast, a landlocked country such as Serbia, can only trade with countries immediately adjacent to it, and considering the fact that Serbia is hated anywhere in ex-Yugo, it can only trade with Romania and Bulgaria. Pretty depressing indeed.

Kosova will certainly benefit from the new AMBO pipeline (http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070131/481/xbg10501311507), that will transport cheap Kaspian Oil through the Balkans from Burgas to Vlora.

And finally, the present energy situation in the Balkans, after the EU ordered Bulgaria to close two nuclear reactors, makes it very favorable for Kosova to develop its energy production capacities and become an electricity exporter. Kosova doesn't need to export its coal, it can turn it into electricity in place and with record high electricity prices, it's in a position to make a very good profit. Kosova will also make a very good profit by putting very high taxes on the Serbvian products that enter the country. On the other hand, high taxes on Serbian products will stimulate the internal production.

The events over the last couple of days have had a big impact on both conflicting groups, Serbs and Albanians, the proposal being rejected ensuring no Kosovo breakaway occurs and the proposal being warmly welcomed and insistence towards the finalisation of status, respesctively.

Skimming through the proposal quickly, it is obvious that the word independence was not quoted, but, analysing the proposal thoroughly, the pure conclusions with regard to what will happen next can be seen clearly.

Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality, even though I believe it is a real pain in the neck to actually agree with such a occurrence. But, bearing in mind that Serbia is very pro-EU than I in my view this is the only way for a healthy intergration to EU. Backing Ahtisaari's plan in the short run might cause disappoinments in the Serbia, but in the long run benefits will outweigh the dissapoinment created with Kosovo's independence.

It is evident that Kosovo and Serbia cannot cope together under the same roof. There not enough room for both of them.

Being very logical and strategic about this proposal will place the last jigsaw of Yugoslavia break down in its own palce. Therefore, the stability in Balkans and the whole South-East Europe will be the fundamental grounding for a bright future for both nations.

Lets hope plan B-an Ki-Moon is more agreeable. It would seem that this new plan is a poorly kept secret in the same vein as plan A-thisarri but at least it reconfirms 1244.

someone is getting nervous, and it´s not the Serbs.

since Condy in the white house fears a breakdown in KiM... it seems like they are starting to see reality... Putin was wise enough to withdraw his military from KiM...


the mere fact that there are coming Solana, Rehn and Steinmeier together to Belgrade, shows how desperate they are about the independence issue...

interesting times to come!

Kreshnik: "Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality"

Why?? Would any nation accept 15% of its sovereign territory being carved off by the 'international community' and dished out like a reward? Of course not.

As for your comment about Serbia and Kosovo unable to live 'under the same umbrella' - aren't you missing the point that they actually are a single country already?

The UN is in a real dilemma. Granting Kosovo & Metohija independence would mean that other "troubled" hotspots around the world would have be debated. Look no further than Republika Srpska. The Russians are the wild card because they expect to get parts of Georgia if they go ahead and allow Kosovo to break away.

This whole thing is a disaster. All of the borders in the Former Yugoslavia were fictional and somehow the International community (lead by the U.S. and UK) took those borders as the ALMIGHTY truth. I could go more in depth about why this is all so wrong, but after almost 16 years of this and having no power to chnage things, many people like myself have become apathetic to the whole political process. All I can say is cudos to the EU and US for allowing a Pariah State to take shape in the middle of Europe. Appeasment of the Muslim groups throughout Western Europe will only embolden these groups in Bosnia and Kosovo as well. So go ahead, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done in allowing Kosovo to happen....

Princip,

The interpreation of UNSC 1244 is not that "black&white".
The preamble of the UNSC Resolution 1244 cited the ritual affirmation of the commitment of all member states to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and Annex 2 of the Resolution. Crucially, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY was conditioned by the Helsinki Final Act and Annex 2 of the Security Council Resolution. The Helsinki Final act provides for the equal recognition of a state’s right to sovereignty and territorial integrity, and of a minority peoples’ right to self-determination. Annex 2 expressly places the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY within the context of the ‘interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo,’ and also noted the necessity of taking full account of the Rambouillet Accords.

Princip your “win-win”,”b-plan” , “ki-plan” , “secret plan” ,“Russian-veto” , “whatever –comes to your mind” assumption are product of your vivid imagination.
What happen to “Troika” visit and their plan? heheh

Aleksandër Gjoni - I guess in which case why is anyone bothering with plan A-thisarri. Maybe your happy with Status Quo !!!

i don't think serbia has to accept anything or sign anything. nor does it need to be constructive in the face of what is very clearly rape. it is interesting that everyone says it needs to be constructive (sorta like saying: "please help me rape you").

forget it. there is not a serious politician in serbia who will sign that paper AND get it ratified in the parliament.

BG need not listen to the FUD Masters (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). There will be no more bombing, no more sanctions, no more isolation. in fact there will be the opposite. the region cannot survive economically with a serbian hole in the center of it and the largest privatizations in serbia will all take place in 2007. these are facts and money talks not diplomats.

serbia's economy is ascendant. it is perfectly situated geographically. it is in possession of a wide array of exportable resources. and it has a large enough domestic market to make it a good spot for FDI. it's labor is cheap, well educated and overwhlemingly bi-lingal. it has a warm water port via montenegro (who will never block serbia as its kids go to college in BG and its citizens use the serb health care system)...although it doesn't even need that due to the danube.

the intn'l community has created a region of weak states all around serbia who ironically need serbia to economically evolve.

serbia should continue to do what is in its interests (resist kosovo; threaten to break BiH) and forget the FUD Masters. it is obvious that the west needs BG to accomodate their plans in Kosovo ("now that i have raped you, please hug me tonight") and continued accomodation on bosnia (where 61% of the population does not want to live -- there cannot be one law for kosovo and one law for bosnia).

concerning the famous "boris petrovich" that everyone brings up. i don't think boris even exists. if he is really from kosovo... why does he speak english so well? and why does he have an "h" at the end of his a name? it is only american serbs who put "h" at the end of their names. if he does exist, my apologies. i disagree with you entirely -- as does nearly the entire parliament of serbia.

to the commentator who spoke highly of albania's economy - one can say what one wishes. albania is the poorest country in europe. look it up on the internet.

to the same commentator who said serbia is like guatemala -- it is atosnishing that after 15 years of war and sanctions and 78 days of bombing that it is not like guatemala. serbia's economy is ascendant. the facts remain 6-8% growth in each of the last 4 years... and 6-8% growth predicted in each of the upcoming 4 years. that comes out to 40-50% growth.

again, i wish to point out no personal antangonism against the people of kosovo who have suffered terrible injustices at the hands of serbs. i simply wish that my people assume the best strategy available to them.

Princip, the point is that, for careful readers, even UNSC1244, which is now completely outdated, leaves some room for self-determination of Kosovars. This means - the independent state of Kosovo. Take it or leave it!

To Kate:

I agree with you, they are still technically one country but not practically.

Kosovo has its own government, president, PM and ministries which are recognised by wide range of countries.

Therefore, any decision made in Serbia concerning Kosovo, does not actually affect Kosovo - or at least not so far.

Going to your point about giving up 15% of its territory just because, as you quote 'international community' wants to do so. Well, I haven't missed any point, because Kosovo was given to Serbia but it never was initially serbian part. If it was treated like other parts of Yugoslavia I am more than confident that much of these issues wouldn't have happened.
But anyway I think is completely right for a victimised nation 'Kosovar Albanians' to stand up for their rights. And it just happened that the two nations didn't agree in their views and it lead to the war.

I hope this has been helpful in terms of clarification of some basic facts.

The fact that this issue is receiving ZERO airtime on Fox News in the US is a clear indication that this issue is not very important to the Bush regime.

Annex 2 expressly places the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY within the context of the ‘interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo,’ and also noted the necessity of taking full account of the Rambouillet Accords.
(Aleksandër Gjoni, 8 February 2007, 14:16)

Yes, under Rambouillet it was substantial autonomy granted for Kosovo,not independance.

Kreshnik: "Serbia and Serbian Nation will have to accept this reality"

Why?? Would any nation accept 15% of its sovereign territory being carved off by the 'international community' and dished out like a reward? Of course not.
(Kate, 8 February 2007, 13:59)

Serbia will not be signatory to any agreement that violates UNSC 1244 which guarantees the territorial integrity of Kosovo and it's borders within Serbia.

If Agim Ceku and the UCK/KLA wanted independance , in 1999 they should have kept fighting, we keep hearing how they won the war.

Secondly, no Serbian politican will sign a document precluding independance to Kosovo-Metohija, Russia has given Serbia a free hand to carve out a solution with Pristina.

Unilateral independance will be political suicide for Agim Ceku and his protectorates-Northern Cyprus is an example of that.

As a Albanian, i have to agree that the best solution, is in fact autonomy. Economic wise, it will have the best outcome for all Kosovos people. We need to learn to put the past behind us and come together.

About Serbian economy.

The ‘official’ version is that Serbia, since the fall of Milosevic’s Socialists in 2000, has boomed with the move to a free-market economy!

The reality is different.

GDP is still only 60% of the 1989 level. Unemployment is 31.6%. About 40% live at or below the poverty line.

Albanians doesn’t want to be part of the “Serbian prosper economy”!

To pity pseudo-albanian "ASHPET"!!!

Serbs should try other nicknames.

I’ve been following the Yugoslavia desitegration story for a long, long time. It has been a painful story, full of lies and deception. It is hard to believe that it happened at the end of the 20th century.

Anyway, looking at the economic improvements Serbia has been experiencing for the last couple of years, and not being a Serb, I truly believe that Serbia will actually be the one liberated if Kosovo finally gets it’s independence.

It is unfair, and possibly illegal, but objectively Kosovo, notwithstanding all it’s historical meaning to the Serb people, is just a piece of land that is costing too much energy and money. I understand the feelings, but I am sure Serbia will be better off without Kosovo.

Finally, I will take issue with the comparison between Serbia and Guatemala. Guatemala is a poor country, that has suffered a great deal under many cruel dictators sponsored by the US and the CIA. A better comparison is Panama. It’s economy is growing after many years of isolation and mismanagement by the populist government of General Noriega. Noriega is now in jail in the US and I have yet to meet somebody in Panama who feels sorry for him. This is no justification for the killing of civilians that ocurred during the invasion of Panama by the US, but my point is that countries can overcome these terrible events and move forward. I have no doubt that in ten years, Serbia will not want Kosovo back even if the return is imposed by the so called International community (= US).

Jarina:

All of these things you say are only "somewhat" true.

First these are '05 numbers. we now live in '07. your numbers do not take into effect two years of 8% growth. nor do they even take into consideration anticipated growth of 8% in the coming years.

Second, the numbers are the result of 15 yrs of war, sanction, and 78 days of bombing. They are not the result of some systemic problem within the Serbian economy or some endemic problem. they are the result of the above issues. when the above disappears... the problems disappear. 3 of the 4 weak states i speak of have systemic and endemic problems that have not been overcome in 15-17 years. and this means there is reason to believe that they will never be overcome.

third, the important measure is not the numbers from 2005, but the trend. The trends are very positive. To say they do not exist does not help your cause (if it's sunny outside... it's sunny. it really doesn't help your cause to say it's raining because you are the only one carrying an umbrella).

here's an example for you of the disparity in the two economies:

serbia sold its mobile license in october (one of two) for 1.8B euros. it sold it in the middle of these "negotiations" and with "mladic on the loose." kosovo sold its mobile license last week for 99M euros.

i understand your heated emotions and i respect your patriotism (we should all be patriots). i have learned very much from the writings of kreshnik (though i don't agree with him all the time) in fact, i have always said that kosovo albanians suffered horribly at the hands of serbs in the 90's (any serb who does not admit that lives in a fantasy world). but your statements simply do not correspond to reality.

In a very short period of time I am going to present both sides with the DEFINITIVE economic response to many of the silly economic arguments that have taken place on this website. Neither land size nor population nor political status are the determining factors to whether a state/territory/country is capable of developing and sustaining a modern 21st century economy capable of producing high end goods and services in a high tech interdependent world economy.All of your arguments on Kosovo's political status are one thing but the economic ones are something else.I will present the economics when I have more time but for now I have papers to grade from students who are going to be high wage earners in the world economy and unfortunately many who are going to be not so high earners.It is individual talent that determines the net worth of your labor.

Kosovo can't function without Serbia’s acceptance of the final solution. The only railroad and the only two road
links between Kosovo and the heart of Europe go across Serbia. All other
alternative transit routes, through Montenegro, Albania, or Macedonia, are
taking Kosovo away from Europe, not into it.

It should enhance respect within the EU for democratic Serbia if Serbia stands by its borders in line with the UN charter. Afterall, the UK went to the Falklands over a lesser matter. On the other hand, it would also strengthen Serbia if Mladic would hand himself in - Serbia's tarnished image could then become much better polished.

i think those who are saying that 1244 is outdated are being blinded by reality or they suffer from delusion or hallucination. for a law or resolution to be invalidated it needs another law/resolution to repeal/amend/nullify it. in this case there's nothin yet except the product of delusion and hallucinations.

There have been many comments lately from Serbian posters claiming that no country would agree to lose 15% of its territory, I wonder what these people mean by “losing territory”

Practically you have lost Kosovo in 1999 when the entire Serbian state apparatus was expelled. The only reason why your argument is still valid is the infamous provision in 1244 which states that Serbia’s territorial integrity is to be respected.

Don’t you think that before making any argument about keeping Kosovo, you should first apologize to the victims of 1999 and compensate the billions of dollars in damages?

Don’t you think you should apologize to the families of the missing persons and help in unveiling their fate?

How do you intend to keep Kosovo under Serbian borders when its entire population is unwilling to even consider it?

How do you envisage such a relationship between Kosovo and Serbia would work?

What would be the benefits of such a relationship, while considering that we do not want to have anything to do with you, either economically or politically?

You may delay Kosovo’s independence but that is about all you can do DELAY.

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Kate,

You claim that Kosovo and Serbia are a single country. This just about sums up your intentions towards Kosovo.

All you really want is for Kosovo to appear as part of Serbia in future maps. Despite the fact that your insistence will have very serious consequences for the people of both Kosovo and Serbia, who will always remain locked in conflict with each other.

You are willing to sacrifice stability and peace just so that you can keep your present borders, which are at this point only imaginary since you have no jurisdiction in Kosovo and Kosovo has its own borders.

Saving face is not a good enough reason to keep hostage 2 million people.

Yea Serbs will compensate...as soon as NATO rebuilds everything they destroyed in 1999...By the way, you may want to ask them to compensate damages done in Kosovo because they did all the damage. Get your facts straight!

Luciano,

It would be interesting to hear your take on the economic development potential of Kosovo & Metohija as a disputed region that could never formalise it's property rights following either an imposed one sided solution or an illegal unilateral declaration.

Or do you not agree an Independent Kosovo/Kosova/Dardania/illyria/Whatevernext! has little future economically. Given that modern economics centered on capitalism is controlled not by the market but the power, political and economic, lies with the globalised elite in developing countries who are often employed or bullied by western multinationals, and who run those countries for the maximum extractive benefit of the west. We import their raw commodities at rock bottom prices, and export back to them manufactured goods at the highest price possible; we restrict their manufactured exports and we charge high levels of interest on their debts.

Interested to see where you are coming from.

Princip-there are different economic scenarios in which Kosovo could function.Even if it never exports a dollar worth of goods if there are 500k Albanians in the EU and the US making billions of dollars from all activities(legal and illegal) and they remit a large amount to their brethren in Kosovo then you can see how one illegal enterprise in New York earning millions of dollars can by itself support thousands of people in Kosovo.The official Albanian economy is small in comparison to the UNOFFICIAL one and Albanians do not like to pay taxes to any government-whether it be in Albania-US-UK etc.On the other hand look at Luxembourg which is a landlocked country with an area of 998 sq.mi (25% of Kosovo's)500k people but with the highest per capita in Europe.Or look at the case of Hong Kong which has NEVER been an independent state but under British rule for over 100 years until 1997 and research WHY today it has a per capita higher than the UK as a whole.It is neither land area nor population nor political status but the PRODUCTIVITY of your people that determines prosperity in the 21st century.Low taxation to attract capital-universal education and training for your workforce and personal ambition and hard work coupled with an entreprenurial drive that propel a society to first world status.