"U.S. seeks creative solution"

"Solution acceptable to both Belgrade and Priština"
What does it really mean? Does it mean Kosova fully independent state from Serbia? That would make sense. Or Kosovar Albanians remain against their will citizens of Serbia. That is impossible bear in mind what the Kosovar Albanians have been through by the Serbian state.
Isn't the time to face the truth and stop playing with the words such "compromise" meaning unrealistic, "further negotiations" meaning more waste of time, "no deadlines" meaning dragging it forever, Serbia "giving to Kosova the greatest autonomy" meaning nonsense, Serbia stand in compliance with the international law meaning misleading, Russia threat of veto meaning chauvinism and hostage-taking.
On the other side Ahtisari Plan meaning a one year negotiation by UN Specia Envoy listening to both parties. Ahtisari Plan meaning Kosova independent with guaranteed preveleged rights for the Serbs in Kosova. Kosova's Friendship Pact open offer meaning free movement of people and goods,common policies in respect of human rights, fight crime and corruption, working together to heal the wounds of the past, economic and political cooperation aiming at joining the European Union, partnership for peace and stability.

EA
Nope it means no independence.

To EA(Ethnic Albanian), If you do not want to speak Serbian or live under Serbian law, go back to where you came from (Albania)

dear EA,
negotiation is never a waste of time.
on the other hand...

writing long comments without any real essence, IS a waste of time.
but since we all have the free choice not to read them, it´s okay if you waste your own time.

Dear EA,

There's a matter that I just can't figure out...

How on earth you can suggest offering a deal such as Kosova's Friendship Pact to a state and government that according your mailings is genocidal, deceitful, reactionary, evil, sneaky, misleading, delusional, regressive, etc.!

I say something smells here...

here is my creativity;

"there are going to be two ALBANIAN states and two USA in the world"

simple as that, like Picasso

Suzy,

I hope that your negotiator speak the same language like you, Phillip, Cvele, Jovanovic and others here towards Kosovar Albanians. If that is the case why bothering "negotiating". I personally have said many times in here that it is a waste of time. Anyway are all of you happy that Serbia has no influence whatsoever in Kosova?

EA

As the only Albanian here whose arguments I can agree with, you bring up one point here:

"Serbia "giving to Kosova the greatest autonomy" meaning nonsense"

What was life like under Tito-era Yugoslavia for Albanians in Kosovo? I imagine, of course, it was the poorest region of the old Yugoslavia, probably had it's problems like unemployment, nonetheless wasn't there generally respect for the rights of Albanians (self-government, recognition of Albanian as an official language etc.) and freedom?

Back then, the country (Yugoslavia) flourished because nationalism in any form was heavily suppressed by the government, so people were able to coexist peacefully and there was no ethnic conflict.

Do you honestly feel that this is not possible under the Serbia of today? Of course, Milosevic completely soured this possibility by abolishing your autonomy and suppressing Albanian culture (not to mention the war), but do you not think things would be better under Tadic?

He is pro-Western and I believe he would make the effort to realize the rights of the Albanian population (restore self-government, recognize the Albanian language as official, as it is in Macedonia, ensure equal rights for all).

Naturally this is just my opinion, I have never been to the Balkans (apart from Bulgaria once), so I actually have little (well, nothing) to say out of experience, in fact I have never met an Albanian in my life (and only a few Serbs).

Do you not see a future under someone like Tadic? Maybe there are things I simply cannot understand, though the German-Polish examples are usually good.

Peter,
Look at this

To EA(Ethnic Albanian), If you do not want to speak Serbian or live under Serbian law, go back to where you came from (Albania)
(Phillip, 20. October 2007 20:20. You can immagine how many Serbs think like this.
I am sure that most of the Serbs think like that. I don't hate the Serbs for that thinking. But only for thinking. It shows how different are the Kosovar Albanians and Serbian way of thinking and one of the reasons why Kosova must be a fully independent country.
Mike,
Kosova is a small region and must be a FUNCTIONAL country. Its capital is Prishtina and the decentralisation provision are envisaged in Ahtisari Plan. I repeat that Kosova should be a country that can function efficently. A way forward is to grant the Albanians in Bujanovc and Medvegja the same rights provided for Serb minority in Ahtisari Plan. That would the best solution for the region. It would be an interesting topic for the Kosovar Albanians and the Serbs to negotiate until the 10th of December.

The United States cannot seek a "creative" solution, while simultaneously saying Kosovo's independence is the "only" solution. By being open to all options and suggestions, one needs to remove one's own definitive solution from the table in order to make these other ideas and options more viable. Otherwise, I see no reason why Ceku et al, would even want to enage in "creative" solutions. As much as I don't like the man, I see his logic and would do the same, where I in his paramilitary boots.

I do however share some of EA's thoughts on the more "soft" powers of reconciliation and reconstruction. Serbs need to be protected in Kosovo, and the so-called Friendship Treaty really needs to be taken seriously by both sides in order for progress to move foward. But none of this will matter unless the first order of business - final status - is solved. Again, I still feel the best way forward is the creation of a Federal Republic of Kosovo, an independent state that has two subpolitical units, one Serb and another larger Albanian. The provisions guaranteed in the AP need to be codified and institutionalized at the highest level, and rather than giving Belgrade the responsbility to see them through, K-Serbs should be the final arbiters in their own affairs. Set up a provincial capital at North Mitrovica or Gracanica. It's plain enough the Serbs don't want to manage Albanian affairs and Albanians don't want to manage Serbs'. Avoid a messy partition and give the whole region independence but share the power between both sides. Yes, 10% should not rule 90%, but that 10% has proven quite capable of resisting that 90%. The parallel is Bosnia - it's not neatly unified but both sides are handling their own affairs and the violence has almost completely vanished. Why abandon a strategy that seems to work?

Olli if Kosova doesn't offer friendship than do you suppose we offer war? That is what you'd like to see, Albanians running wild, threatening every country in existence?

EA- First of all the Kosovar Albanians have a choice and one choice only. If they don't want to remain Serbian citizens against their will they can move back to Albania, plain and simple.
KS- That's exactly what they are doing now. They are running wild claiming Kosovo as an independant state, when it's not even recognized and it never will be. And you already offered war when you started to fight for independance.

EA,

I understand your concern to make Kosovo a viable state, and the idea of federalizing such a small territory seems like devaluating what little power will actually be there.

As for your other comment, "A way forward is to grant the Albanians in Bujanovc and Medvegja the same rights provided for Serb minority in Ahtisari Plan." Let's work on Kosovo first and see what happens. If the Serbs feel their rights and freedoms are guaranteed, then we can look at the Valley Albanains too. I don't think that's too tall of an order.

EA, When it becomes clear to all the K-Albanians that Kosovo will remain part of Serbia will you still insist on calling it Kosova?

It is not independent now and you openly display your disrespect towards the country whose territory it is by calling it Kosova.
How much disrespect are you going to display towards Serbia and the Serbs if you ever become indpendent?

Your offer of friendship cannot be taken seriously as long as you are displaying this sort of contempt for the Serbian government and it's citizens.

"Solution acceptable to both Belgrade and Priština"
What does it really mean? Does it mean Kosova fully independent state from Serbia? That would make sense. Or Kosovar Albanians remain against their will citizens of Serbia. That is impossible bear in mind what the Kosovar Albanians have been through by the Serbian state.
Isn't the time to face the truth and stop playing with the words such "compromise" meaning unrealistic, "further negotiations" meaning more waste of time, "no deadlines" meaning dragging it forever, Serbia "giving to Kosova the greatest autonomy" meaning nonsense, Serbia stand in compliance with the international law meaning misleading, Russia threat of veto meaning chauvinism and hostage-taking.
On the other side Ahtisari Plan meaning a one year negotiation by UN Specia Envoy listening to both parties. Ahtisari Plan meaning Kosova independent with guaranteed preveleged rights for the Serbs in Kosova. Kosova's Friendship Pact open offer meaning free movement of people and goods,common policies in respect of human rights, fight crime and corruption, working together to heal the wounds of the past, economic and political cooperation aiming at joining the European Union, partnership for peace and stability.

EA
Nope it means no independence.

The United States cannot seek a "creative" solution, while simultaneously saying Kosovo's independence is the "only" solution. By being open to all options and suggestions, one needs to remove one's own definitive solution from the table in order to make these other ideas and options more viable. Otherwise, I see no reason why Ceku et al, would even want to enage in "creative" solutions. As much as I don't like the man, I see his logic and would do the same, where I in his paramilitary boots.

I do however share some of EA's thoughts on the more "soft" powers of reconciliation and reconstruction. Serbs need to be protected in Kosovo, and the so-called Friendship Treaty really needs to be taken seriously by both sides in order for progress to move foward. But none of this will matter unless the first order of business - final status - is solved. Again, I still feel the best way forward is the creation of a Federal Republic of Kosovo, an independent state that has two subpolitical units, one Serb and another larger Albanian. The provisions guaranteed in the AP need to be codified and institutionalized at the highest level, and rather than giving Belgrade the responsbility to see them through, K-Serbs should be the final arbiters in their own affairs. Set up a provincial capital at North Mitrovica or Gracanica. It's plain enough the Serbs don't want to manage Albanian affairs and Albanians don't want to manage Serbs'. Avoid a messy partition and give the whole region independence but share the power between both sides. Yes, 10% should not rule 90%, but that 10% has proven quite capable of resisting that 90%. The parallel is Bosnia - it's not neatly unified but both sides are handling their own affairs and the violence has almost completely vanished. Why abandon a strategy that seems to work?

here is my creativity;

"there are going to be two ALBANIAN states and two USA in the world"

simple as that, like Picasso

To EA(Ethnic Albanian), If you do not want to speak Serbian or live under Serbian law, go back to where you came from (Albania)

dear EA,
negotiation is never a waste of time.
on the other hand...

writing long comments without any real essence, IS a waste of time.
but since we all have the free choice not to read them, it´s okay if you waste your own time.

EA

As the only Albanian here whose arguments I can agree with, you bring up one point here:

"Serbia "giving to Kosova the greatest autonomy" meaning nonsense"

What was life like under Tito-era Yugoslavia for Albanians in Kosovo? I imagine, of course, it was the poorest region of the old Yugoslavia, probably had it's problems like unemployment, nonetheless wasn't there generally respect for the rights of Albanians (self-government, recognition of Albanian as an official language etc.) and freedom?

Back then, the country (Yugoslavia) flourished because nationalism in any form was heavily suppressed by the government, so people were able to coexist peacefully and there was no ethnic conflict.

Do you honestly feel that this is not possible under the Serbia of today? Of course, Milosevic completely soured this possibility by abolishing your autonomy and suppressing Albanian culture (not to mention the war), but do you not think things would be better under Tadic?

He is pro-Western and I believe he would make the effort to realize the rights of the Albanian population (restore self-government, recognize the Albanian language as official, as it is in Macedonia, ensure equal rights for all).

Naturally this is just my opinion, I have never been to the Balkans (apart from Bulgaria once), so I actually have little (well, nothing) to say out of experience, in fact I have never met an Albanian in my life (and only a few Serbs).

Do you not see a future under someone like Tadic? Maybe there are things I simply cannot understand, though the German-Polish examples are usually good.

Dear EA,

There's a matter that I just can't figure out...

How on earth you can suggest offering a deal such as Kosova's Friendship Pact to a state and government that according your mailings is genocidal, deceitful, reactionary, evil, sneaky, misleading, delusional, regressive, etc.!

I say something smells here...

Suzy,

I hope that your negotiator speak the same language like you, Phillip, Cvele, Jovanovic and others here towards Kosovar Albanians. If that is the case why bothering "negotiating". I personally have said many times in here that it is a waste of time. Anyway are all of you happy that Serbia has no influence whatsoever in Kosova?

Olli if Kosova doesn't offer friendship than do you suppose we offer war? That is what you'd like to see, Albanians running wild, threatening every country in existence?

Peter,
Look at this

To EA(Ethnic Albanian), If you do not want to speak Serbian or live under Serbian law, go back to where you came from (Albania)
(Phillip, 20. October 2007 20:20. You can immagine how many Serbs think like this.
I am sure that most of the Serbs think like that. I don't hate the Serbs for that thinking. But only for thinking. It shows how different are the Kosovar Albanians and Serbian way of thinking and one of the reasons why Kosova must be a fully independent country.
Mike,
Kosova is a small region and must be a FUNCTIONAL country. Its capital is Prishtina and the decentralisation provision are envisaged in Ahtisari Plan. I repeat that Kosova should be a country that can function efficently. A way forward is to grant the Albanians in Bujanovc and Medvegja the same rights provided for Serb minority in Ahtisari Plan. That would the best solution for the region. It would be an interesting topic for the Kosovar Albanians and the Serbs to negotiate until the 10th of December.

EA- First of all the Kosovar Albanians have a choice and one choice only. If they don't want to remain Serbian citizens against their will they can move back to Albania, plain and simple.
KS- That's exactly what they are doing now. They are running wild claiming Kosovo as an independant state, when it's not even recognized and it never will be. And you already offered war when you started to fight for independance.

EA,

I understand your concern to make Kosovo a viable state, and the idea of federalizing such a small territory seems like devaluating what little power will actually be there.

As for your other comment, "A way forward is to grant the Albanians in Bujanovc and Medvegja the same rights provided for Serb minority in Ahtisari Plan." Let's work on Kosovo first and see what happens. If the Serbs feel their rights and freedoms are guaranteed, then we can look at the Valley Albanains too. I don't think that's too tall of an order.

EA, When it becomes clear to all the K-Albanians that Kosovo will remain part of Serbia will you still insist on calling it Kosova?

It is not independent now and you openly display your disrespect towards the country whose territory it is by calling it Kosova.
How much disrespect are you going to display towards Serbia and the Serbs if you ever become indpendent?

Your offer of friendship cannot be taken seriously as long as you are displaying this sort of contempt for the Serbian government and it's citizens.