Tadić, Barosso talk integration, Kosovo

"But when we think about strategic relations between Serbia and Europe, of course, if this issue is not solved, it will create a lot of problems. This is obvious. We will not be able to achieve what is, I think, our strategic goal, [which] is to have, one day, Serbia as a full member of the European Union."

This statement is very important as it clearly says that EU will no accept Serbia as its member as long as Kosovo issue remains unsolved. It appears that EU's asserting itself, in the face of brisk Serb ignorance of EU position, rather than changing its policy towards independence for Kosovo. This is yet another signal from EU, among many in the past few weeks, that EU will not budge down in the face of Russian pressure and Serb gimmicks but that at the end of the day they will press forward with their own policy on Kosovo.

James,
Well said "Russian pressure and Serb gimmicks". That is one can see for a long time.

James, to borrow your phrase, "at the end of the day" I might as well win $15M on Canadian lotto.

This is called wishful thinking. EU has no viable options left, and it has nothing to do with Russia. Eurocrats are fully aware of that. So is Serbia.

EU's bluff has been called- EU can not unilaterally recognize Kosovo because it could be the end of EU as we know it. If EU countries reneg on their signature on The Helsinki agreement, their territory is not protected from snatching. Kosovo can not be recognized as independent by UNSEC resolution because it would be the end of UN.


The only hypothetical thing EU could do is to immediately accept Serbia with Kosovo as a member state, and put Kosovo under direct Bruxxelles supervision, thus putting the dreams of "kosova" on the same level as other separatist wishes in other EU member states.



Of course, it will not happen - EU is not a benevolent mediator but someone who wants to cut their own losses after supporting terrorism for almost 10 years. They should have thought about it when they started supporting terrorists in 1998.

It is very important that all the people, including Serbs, understand that democracy will change the old habbits once and for all. An united Europe, without borders is the only hope that people have to live in peace. This implies that old nationalistic feelings have to diminish, because a human is a human no matter what language, history, race etc he/she represents. That means that a persons individual freedom and welfare shall be most important, leaving everything else to secondary.
With that being said, I can not believe that Serbs are being brainwashed over and over just as in the middle ages. The only parallel probably is the way that Islam brainwashes its believers.
Live your lives people and join the world, or you will be lost.

Nonsense! The EU wants Serbia because Serbia is a relatively large country, i'e. population wise,with economic potential. The EU could care less about Kosovo or Albanians but they have to say the 'correct' things.

kosovo independence precedence arguement by Tadic is admirable for a man who is a president of a country who has violated every UN law in the last decade, i doubt his concern for the rest of the world is credible.

however, lets think about it for a minute...if you are a disputed region wanting idnependence, how you hope to achieve independence without major world support is beyond me. Kosovo only has Russia not supporting its independence, while Basques, North Ossetia etc really dont many countries rooting for them. I can declare land my house is as "independent" but unless I have a support for that independence, what can I do? Answer is not much. Hence why Kosovo is not a precedent...because its the only region that has support of the majority of the world for independence.

Kosovo non-independence will creat havoc in the region. it would cost everyone too much if independence is not required and blame will all be on russia and you can say goodbye to UN and since UN will become ineffective, so will any UN security councils and its resolutions.

Robin

In a poll done in Serbia most citizens of Serbia do not recognize a value in joining the EU at least not any time soon so waving this carrot around is meaningless and will not foster the results the EU hopes. What is more alarming is that mothers/house wives and senior citizens support armed conflict over Kosovo. If I were the EU I would be concerned about this because this demographic group is by far the most influential group in Serbia. People tend to respect and do as their mothers and grandparents ask of them. At least in Serbia.

Daniel

If Kosovo has support from the majority of the World why then is it not independent? The fact is Daniel Kosovo has support only from the USA and the Americans are bulling everyone else in going along with them and quite frankly I am sure that many if not most of those countries who are being bullied by the USA are secretly glad that the Russians are standing up to America, hence their is no independence today nor will there be tomorrow.

'... quite frankly I am sure that many if not most of those countries who are being bullied by the USA are secretly glad that the Russians are standing up to America ...'

Ta-da. Right there is the very heart of the issue. The US bullied Europe on Afghanistan, and again on Iraq, yet again on the pan-European so-called missile shield, and on it goes. Right now Europe isn't in the right position to tell the US to keep its nose out of European affairs, but Russia is, and you can count on a good deal of EU support toward Russia's position (and, by extension, Serbia's) in the corridors and private offices of all those concerned to put paid to the United States thinking that it runs Europe.

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 Albanian/ Illyrian identity. Always populated by Albanians who, although under constant pressure of forcefully migration by 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 Illyria) 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 to. Serbs just occupied Kosova during the rise of the Serbian nationalism early 20th cent. from Ottomans who by then were loosing the Balkans after 500 years of occupation. Now Kosova should be Free!

"But when we think about strategic relations between Serbia and Europe, of course, if this issue is not solved, it will create a lot of problems. This is obvious. We will not be able to achieve what is, I think, our strategic goal, [which] is to have, one day, Serbia as a full member of the European Union."

This statement is very important as it clearly says that EU will no accept Serbia as its member as long as Kosovo issue remains unsolved. It appears that EU's asserting itself, in the face of brisk Serb ignorance of EU position, rather than changing its policy towards independence for Kosovo. This is yet another signal from EU, among many in the past few weeks, that EU will not budge down in the face of Russian pressure and Serb gimmicks but that at the end of the day they will press forward with their own policy on Kosovo.

James,
Well said "Russian pressure and Serb gimmicks". That is one can see for a long time.

James, to borrow your phrase, "at the end of the day" I might as well win $15M on Canadian lotto.

This is called wishful thinking. EU has no viable options left, and it has nothing to do with Russia. Eurocrats are fully aware of that. So is Serbia.

EU's bluff has been called- EU can not unilaterally recognize Kosovo because it could be the end of EU as we know it. If EU countries reneg on their signature on The Helsinki agreement, their territory is not protected from snatching. Kosovo can not be recognized as independent by UNSEC resolution because it would be the end of UN.


The only hypothetical thing EU could do is to immediately accept Serbia with Kosovo as a member state, and put Kosovo under direct Bruxxelles supervision, thus putting the dreams of "kosova" on the same level as other separatist wishes in other EU member states.



Of course, it will not happen - EU is not a benevolent mediator but someone who wants to cut their own losses after supporting terrorism for almost 10 years. They should have thought about it when they started supporting terrorists in 1998.

It is very important that all the people, including Serbs, understand that democracy will change the old habbits once and for all. An united Europe, without borders is the only hope that people have to live in peace. This implies that old nationalistic feelings have to diminish, because a human is a human no matter what language, history, race etc he/she represents. That means that a persons individual freedom and welfare shall be most important, leaving everything else to secondary.
With that being said, I can not believe that Serbs are being brainwashed over and over just as in the middle ages. The only parallel probably is the way that Islam brainwashes its believers.
Live your lives people and join the world, or you will be lost.

Nonsense! The EU wants Serbia because Serbia is a relatively large country, i'e. population wise,with economic potential. The EU could care less about Kosovo or Albanians but they have to say the 'correct' things.

kosovo independence precedence arguement by Tadic is admirable for a man who is a president of a country who has violated every UN law in the last decade, i doubt his concern for the rest of the world is credible.

however, lets think about it for a minute...if you are a disputed region wanting idnependence, how you hope to achieve independence without major world support is beyond me. Kosovo only has Russia not supporting its independence, while Basques, North Ossetia etc really dont many countries rooting for them. I can declare land my house is as "independent" but unless I have a support for that independence, what can I do? Answer is not much. Hence why Kosovo is not a precedent...because its the only region that has support of the majority of the world for independence.

Kosovo non-independence will creat havoc in the region. it would cost everyone too much if independence is not required and blame will all be on russia and you can say goodbye to UN and since UN will become ineffective, so will any UN security councils and its resolutions.

Robin

In a poll done in Serbia most citizens of Serbia do not recognize a value in joining the EU at least not any time soon so waving this carrot around is meaningless and will not foster the results the EU hopes. What is more alarming is that mothers/house wives and senior citizens support armed conflict over Kosovo. If I were the EU I would be concerned about this because this demographic group is by far the most influential group in Serbia. People tend to respect and do as their mothers and grandparents ask of them. At least in Serbia.

Daniel

If Kosovo has support from the majority of the World why then is it not independent? The fact is Daniel Kosovo has support only from the USA and the Americans are bulling everyone else in going along with them and quite frankly I am sure that many if not most of those countries who are being bullied by the USA are secretly glad that the Russians are standing up to America, hence their is no independence today nor will there be tomorrow.

'... quite frankly I am sure that many if not most of those countries who are being bullied by the USA are secretly glad that the Russians are standing up to America ...'

Ta-da. Right there is the very heart of the issue. The US bullied Europe on Afghanistan, and again on Iraq, yet again on the pan-European so-called missile shield, and on it goes. Right now Europe isn't in the right position to tell the US to keep its nose out of European affairs, but Russia is, and you can count on a good deal of EU support toward Russia's position (and, by extension, Serbia's) in the corridors and private offices of all those concerned to put paid to the United States thinking that it runs Europe.

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 Albanian/ Illyrian identity. Always populated by Albanians who, although under constant pressure of forcefully migration by 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 Illyria) 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 to. Serbs just occupied Kosova during the rise of the Serbian nationalism early 20th cent. from Ottomans who by then were loosing the Balkans after 500 years of occupation. Now Kosova should be Free!