EU to “acknowledge” Kosovo independence

Anyone who is pro independence and reads this story as positive in any way is viewing the situation through rose tinted glasses.

All this basically says is that consensus is needed to even 'acknowledge' independence as a unity, and even this is far from being secured.

"However, the whole process could take months, which is why it is important for the EU to begin its mission in Kosovo to maintain the “rule of law,” which would, in a timeframe of 90 to 120 days replace UNMIK, thus beginning limited implementation of Martti Ahtisaari’s internationally-supervised independence plan."

This is Catch 22. The EU cannot set up such a mission on Serbian soil without approval by the UN Security Council, especially now they have stated that their aim is to implement independence once they are there!

And even if they did manage to wangle their way around this and establish themselves in Kosovo, they would only have a mandate by proxy via the UN and no right to make any decisions.

Again, the only route is the UN Security Council.

There is still the option of coming to a compromise on this entire issue, whether it may be a high level of autonomy or some sort of partition - whatever both sides can COMPROMISE on.

So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.

If the EU is to take over, then they should stop just trailing behind US foreign policy and start creating a peaceful solution which will work for everyone.

"the whole process could take months, which is why it is important for the EU to "begin its mission in Kosovo to maintain the “rule of law,” which would, in a timeframe of 90 to 120 days replace UNMIK,"

- how do they intend to replace UNMIK with EUMIK without UN SC authorisation? 1244 states

"5. Decides on the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, of
international civil and security presences, with appropriate equipment and
personnel as required, and welcomes the agreement of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia to such presences;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with the
Security Council, a Special Representative to control the implementation of the
international civil presence,"

They have no legal basis upon which any of this can happen without UN Security Council approval. Like the Spanish Minister states;

“violating laws has never done any good in history.”

Bluster and hot air the reality is the question must be answered;

Does the US and the "few" EU states pushing US foreign policy diktact upon the rest of the EU wish to uphold the laws that they are obliged to uphold - which has provided stability?

Or do they flagrantly act against and undermine the whole credibility of the UN, every single UN resolution and all other international norms and laws that provide and be accountabl efor the greatest instability possible ?

It's the 12th December and CFE no longer will apply after midnight tonight!

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.....!

clean cut
Have you seen any present day
islamic state applying the
multiethnicity model ?This is
totally incompatible with the
teachings of couran.Christian
populations are infidel and
must be either converted or
eliminated according to the
prophet. The clash of religions has already begun.
Is taking place in many parts
of the world.

But EU can “acknowledge” whatever they want, still wont mean a thing!!

Half of the albanians kosovars interviewed by BBC told that the only reason they want endependence is that they will get the chance to go and live abroad: that already scared the brits for a probably second albanian invasion since 1991!

Doesn’t look that bad. At least now EU is talking about the solution and the solution has a name "INDEPENDECE".
Countries that do not support the Independence will wait to see the effects, and if there none them join the club.
This is a positive approach form the big guys in the World politics. This way Kosova and Serbia can develop without any political problems.

And I thought that Mr Sweedish Minister was honest man who claimed that only ONE country is not on the board. This was yesterday and today we hear totally the oposite statements. I see that EU is in real mess and not unified at all.

The worst scenario for Kosovo is to proclame independence and to let countries recognize it individualy+discretely. In that case I am sure that less than half of EU will recognise(since many of them expressed mistrust).

This is also very positive if International Court decide in favour of Serbia meaning that countries who illegaly recognise Kosovo will have to pay Serbia precompensation.

And yet after all in order to allow Kosovo proclame indepndence the EU has to be unified as stated:

"Sources said that while this was a probable scenario, there was a long road ahead because “finding a united stance is still required, which will have to be worked on since the situation is far from clear-cut.”

This is truly amusing!!!

So obviously this news is just a propaganda for Albanian ears in order to keep them quiet. Anyone with half a brain would pick this up in 3 seconds.

Well well well...the EU is already starting to backtrack. 'Acknowledging' greater albania means nothing. You can acknowledge something without recognizing it, and any legal change of borders has to go through the UN, period.
Yes, we all 'acknowledge' that the albanians would like to cleanse Kosovo of all Serbs and create an ethnically pure greater albania, but we 'recognize' the fact that Kosovo is sacred Serbian land, and this will never change.

"God forbid that Cyprus should agree, even if the rest of the EU decides to recognize the independence of Kosovo, even if there are reactions to our behavior," the Cypriot News Agency (CAN) quoted Palmas as saying.

WHAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT?
How can Kosovo join if Cyprus doesnt recognise it? it cant! the end. EU, Serbia is the NUT u will break your teeth on. CCCC

I am writing from London at the moment.
I can assure you, people here cannot tell bosnia from kosovo,
and dont care about it.

I even read an article on some local paper about the danger of christianity in Kosovo.

Its only 2-3 politicians in UK that actually care about their interests in KiM.

So dont be so sure about UK either!!!

P.S.
Did i say the brits are afraid of albanians??

Kosova is de facto independent since 8 years and it will be acknoledged de jure very soon. Cyprus is the only state that for good reasons is not "on board" yet, but it will recognize Kosova when the right time comes. Very soon we will have a long lasting peace in this part of Europe. Albanians and Serbs of Kosova/o will govern their state and share power and culture in an multiethnik state. Their rights and freedoms will be watched in scrutiny by international community. Kosova will soon be an example of co-existence and prosperity. Violence doesn't bring anything good to our people. We should all distance ourselves from those who promote violence and wars. The future will be better for all of us. I believe that Albanian and Serbian nations have the power to re-establish relations in a different dimmension for the sake of our children and their future.

Kate,

You need to look at this in the context of European Unity and a Joint European Foreign Policy. After the EU acknowledges the independence of Kosova (if absolutely necessary I am sure the EU wont mind even including caveat that expresses Cyprus’s objections to such acknowledgment), the EU will be able to declare EU unity and most EU member countries will be able to do what they want to do which is recognize the independence of Kosova.

Perhaps you should keep in mind that the EU is not striving to achieve unity so they can recognize Kosova as a block (if that is even possible), but rather to issue a “join statement of approval for Kosova’s independence” on the basis of which EU member countries then issue individual acts of recognition (exercising their right as sovereign states).

The “acknowledgment” will provide a sufficient “legal” basis for EU countries to issue individual acts of recognition without jeopardizing EU unity and its attempts for a common foreign policy.

Your catch 22 does not make sense. We are all witnesses to the bombing of Serbia that was done without UNSC approval, and that was a bigger deal than the recognition and implementation of independence. The hard truth is the US and EU have come to realize that with the Russians there, the UNSC approach will not work, so they will avoid it completely.

You said:

“So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.”
The same goes for Serbia, Serbia was assured by Russia that independence will not be approved through the UNSC, therefore completely ruling out one of the most important options for the solution of the Kosova status.

Independence and Autonomy were all there was on the table, the Americans backed the first option and the Russians the second, so you can not blame the failure of the negotiations on the Americans when the Russians did exactly the same thing. On one side they said “mutually agreed solution” and on the other side they made it clear that they will not approve anything that Serbia is against. This was a no win situation and that is precisely what they are interested on.

The Serbian attempts to conceal autonomy behind examples like Hong Kong, Aland and other examples failed, because 2 of the 3 troika negotiators understood that all these examples lead to one thing and one thing only “The preservation of Serbian sovereignty in Kosova”.

The ‘countless offers’ presented by the Serbian team, instead of having the desired effect of proving the flexibility of the Serbian position, basically showed the international community that all Serbia is interested in is the “geographical size of the country”. And that was unacceptable to both the US and the EU, who are more interested in lasting peace in the Balkans the satisfying the nationalistic and expansionist visions of Serbian radicals.

the truth of the matter is that EU has not yet made up its mind whether to be united or not. in short EU is still a confused entity when it comes to kosovo indep.

I live in Finsbury, I can tell that unless you read just the sun or daily sport, but read proper newspapers you would realize that there's a real concern about a new wave of immigrations from Kosovo, considering the previus one from Albania.

Of course the Labour party have to play it cool since a good stock of their voters are immigrants.

Trust me on this: Brits really don't care about Albanians in kosovo, but the level of new immigration is a real concern.

The overwhelming majority of EU is for Kosova's Independence while Serbia's hopes are based on Cyprus...
This is the reality...Sad for Serbia Great for Kosova.

Albanians seeking independence in order to emigrate? That's the most desperate comment I've ever heard. But Serbia is the most interested part to FULLY empty Kosovo in order to colonize it like it did since Serbia occupied it in 1912. Look at the albanian-kosovar diaspora in the west. It is huge. Do you know why? Serbs created it. By discriminating albanians, exploiting them, closing for them all the job and education opportunities. So, what a man would do if faced to such a reality? I'd emigrate. That's why albanians are the most popular immigrant from the Balkans in the EU since the early years of the creation of the Country of Southern Slavs. And that's why we albanians have worked since then, to give an end to such a inhumane treatment, to get rid of the occupation from a country which considers us as "foreigners" to our land. Now the time is up. Most of the world backs us.

"dont you have better things to do in London than ask about Kosova"

What a hypocritical comment.
You want the Brits to support your drive for independence and you want their tax dollars to continue to provide you with a living.

You are then rude to them when they express an opinion that you don't happen to like.

How foolish of you to bite the hand that feeds you.

What a suprise.

i will be congratulating my fellow country Men/Women on our Independancy within weeks.

gerry:
An Islamic state is something entirely different from a majority Muslim country. Albania is majority Muslim,and as an Orthodox Christian I can tell you that we have never in our history had a religious war or conflict like the ones the South Slavs excel at. Religion for us is something that belongs in our private lives and not in politics and that guarantees harmony. It used to be the same in Bosnia before everyone went crazy in the early 90s and I guess you can address any inquiries you have on the subject to the Serb camp here. They should know a thing or two about it.

Kate:
People used to say that NATO could not bomb Serbia without SC approval and look at what happened. And if you look carefully you would see that the same is happening all over again. We are getting independence without SC approval. Do we care? Not as along as the US and most of the EU recognize us. The rest will too in a few years and the EU integration of our region will mark the end of it. This is a long process where the new country of Kosova is gonna become more recognized as time goes by, but for starters it is enough to have the US and the biggies in the EU behind us. The fact that most of the EU supports us is a big bonus too.And take a wild guess Kate: is the Serbian claim to Kosova gonna become stronger or weaker as years go by?

Kosovo Albanians,

It is not a surprise that countries like the US, the UK, Germany and France support you (but not all of the EU, like is falsely written these days). Countries with a proven track record of oppressing many people throughout history and so it is not a surprise that they like to support former Nazi allies (because that is what you are). How do you people think about the fact that the US treated its black (sorry, African American) citizens much much worse than the Serbs ever treated you? Did you say "That is an outrage"? Probably not. You guys have been taking advantage of the money sent to you while there was still a Yugoslavia and what did you do? Nothing and now you are blaming the Serbs for all your missery. Of course the Serbs would like to see all of you move to Albania (you guys did a good job by yourself in 1999), but one has to be realistic. For a long time I have been following many comments. The one things that I have never read is a descent plan what to do once Kosovo is independent. How are you guys going to make money to run your utopia society? Serbia is not going to pay your bills anymore and at some point of time the EU and US will get sick of you. Maffia and drugs like now? The EU would make a huge historical mistake by granting you people independence (they cannot grant anything, support at best). The blah blah blah that you deserve it is complete nosense. Now you are trying to be nice by promoting a multi-ethnic society, but you have done absolutely nothing to integrate into the society you are a part of (like many Muslims in Western societies). Of course I do not like to see you guys get independence and an EU membership (plus passport). We do want to see you guys (and girls) flood Western Europe and take our jobs. Please go to the countries whose people really supported you useless case. The main conclusion is that despite all the bad stories for the last 16 years most people here would favour a Serb over a Kosovo Albanian any day of the year. You people should be much less arrogant and learn a little bit about reality. Keep on dreaming and get a life (Serbia is still the best option for a descent future).

@Marko,

That is very true what you have said. The thing is that Serbia has real problem with Albanians. The clearly EU does not want Kosovo and therfore wants Serbia to give up from Kosovo and join EU as soon as posible. Serbia of course rejects this. The EU fear even to open the borders with Serbia because of possible huge migration not only of K-Albanians but Albanians from Albania who can pass the border very smoothly since no one takes care of the border with Albania. Actually the border does not exist any longer, it is open space. Who knows how many of them already settled in Kosovo and who knows how many of them are walking freely in Serbia. One thing is for sure-the border with Albania must either closed or strictly protected by UNMIK or even KFOR. EU does not care for Albanians but they just want to protect themselves from migration and that's it.

This post sums it up the best from Tomislav yesterday:

"You are still a land-locked little piece of land that has lost the North and have no vision to put people to work. Please, stop thumping your chests and get real. With independence comes real responsibilities that many of your leaders have shown they lack. I for one have thrown in the towel years ago on the region and chose to focus and making more wealth in North America rather than send money back to my money-grubbing relatives who stay home for "the cause." Many of you are clueless as you are arrogant. Go ahead, declare yourself independent. You better have a nice account to feed the numerous relatives still in KosovO that have no future ahead of them. Your sophmoric little "Nah-nah-nah" remarks show your utter lack of maturity. No wonder I haven't run into any REAL Albanian Academics over here. You guys are too busy living about "THE CAUSE."

Could not have said it better myself.

Someone wrote
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.....!"

Well, well ... you and your followers are already into this web of lies and deceit sown around you by likes of Grasanin, Rankovic, Seselj, Milosevic, your political elite and your religious leaders, and is preventing not only you but regretfully all your political establishment to see through it. The looming Kosovo independence should be a shock therapy for all pseudo politicians, revisionist, speculators, and liars, and should enable ordinary people to see through this web of lies and deceit and move forward. Unfortunately, when one reads your comments here it realizes that this will not happen.

James today you say;

"The looming Kosovo independence should be a shock therapy for all pseudo politicians, revisionist, speculators, and liars, and should enable ordinary people to see through this web of lies and deceit and move forward. Unfortunately, when one reads your comments here it realizes that this will not happen."
(james, 12 December 2007 16:01)

But who is making up things then when last year you said;

"Recent deal to let Russia join the WTO is the message many Serbs failed to recognize. That Russia has been brought on board the Kosova Independence speeding bullet train. Excellent mentors, those democratic Americans."
(James, 12 November 2006, 00:09)
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/comments.php?nav_id=37907

Could it be the excellent mentors of spin and deception have fooled you so much with their false promise that you no longer respect the very foundations of the UN and international law?

one thing is certain illegal secession in your words "will not happen."

Oh what a tangled web.......

clean cut
Have you seen any present day
islamic state applying the
multiethnicity model ?This is
totally incompatible with the
teachings of couran.Christian
populations are infidel and
must be either converted or
eliminated according to the
prophet. The clash of religions has already begun.
Is taking place in many parts
of the world.
(garry, 12 December 2007 13:46)

While to serbs the conflict in Kosovo might have to do with religion, as we have seen in many cases when they refer to albanians as Muslims, for K. Albanians the conflict has absoltuely nothing to do with religion - we are very secular in general.

your propaganda just shows how seriously uninformed you are about Kosovo and K. Albanians.

To: Princip, Kate, bmrusila and other Serb Apologists.

It is time to give up on Kosovo since it is clear that the international community is in favor of independence.

You should now concentrate your propaganda efforts in trying to hold onto Vojvodina and Sandzak because they also are planning to get independence from Serbia.

Princip, kate;

You guys should get together and join the car lazar movement!

There is no way forward for Kosova & Serbia, forget the past and move forward as 2 Independent stats... the EU is around the corner!!

There is no need to move into racisms or hatred as this was the first step that caused the breakdown of the very successful YUGO

"However, while the EU will acknowledge that Kosovo has proclaimed independence, it will allow every individual member-state to decide on its own whether to recognize Kosovo’s independence of not, sources from Brussels have told the Beta news agency."

Fine when it comes to the independence question, but then what will happen later when Kosovo will want to join other organizations (including the EU itself)?

The way the international community has handled this affair is wrong. There is disunity in the UN, disunity in the EU, it really goes to show that they have not handled this well.

I think I have said everything on my mind with regards to this whole affair, I wish the people of the Balkans the best and hope that one day they will live in peace with each other, and may Europe be free from such hatred.

dont you have better things to do in London than ask about Kosova.By the way, if you happen to go to Buckingham palace road you can find the Kosova conatc office.

Resolution 1244 Section 11 is the ona that is being interpreted at UNSC.

Good luck to all citizen of last ex-Yugoslavian republic of Serbia.

I suppose Cyprus will tilt the entire EU decision-making process now and Kosovo will not be made independent.
Pyrros as for your ridicuous comment that only 4 UK politicians worry about the outcome of Kosovo, I simply refuse to belive that you're actually based in the UK. What do you read?

Princip, Kate
It is a victory for Kosova to be recognized by Albania alone. It is even more success to be recognized by US, France, UK, and other major powers. Most of EU states will recognize Kosova. Even if Kosova was never recognized by all EU, it is still independent from Serbia. At this point anything but being in the same borders with Serbia will work. There is not a single Albanian soul who wants or will allow for Kosova to be part of Serbia. Kosova is independent like it or not

Kate,
"Anyone who is pro independence and reads this story as positive in any way is viewing the situation through rose tinted glasses."

My comment,
Kate, you never cease to amaze me with your oh so biased comments. You say one thing only to contradict yourself the next.

Let see who is seeing through a rose tinted glass here.

Kate: "This is Catch 22. The EU cannot set up such a mission on Serbian soil without approval by the UN Security Council, especially now they have stated that their aim is to implement independence once they are there!"

My comment:
So Kate, if you are not seeing through the rose tinted glass, then you would know that, once Kosova declares the Independent and then recognized by USA and EU, it will only take few seconds for Kosova's gov to invite EU to bring their troops & officals in Kosova. Or even a call to "occupy Kosova", if you like to call it, for that matter.

In another word, why would EU consider Kosova as a Serbian soil when Kosova is already(onced recognised) a recognized state? It is a common sense that EUMIK will send its official to Kosova once Kosova is recognized by EU and not prior. So much for your Catch 22. :)

Kate:
"There is still the option of coming to a compromise on this entire issue, whether it may be a high level of autonomy or some sort of partition - whatever both sides can COMPROMISE on."


My comment:
Oh dear, how on earth can you insist on COMPROMISE(as you shout) when you always insist either your way(Autonomy only) or nothing, and only lately, you came up with a partition, as another far fetched offer of yours?
Yeah right, both sides have to compromise but only on Autonomy or only on Serbian offer, or yours in this matter

Kate:
So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.

My comment:
Anyone who is anti independence and reads your comments as positive and true in any way, is viewing the situation through a blackcurrant, not even rose, tinted glass. Don't you know that we, Albanians, made compromise after compromises for years and years? Despite our compromises, everyone knows what was Serbian's compromise, batons on our heads, bullets, rape, killings etc. And last but not least, after post war, we were on negotiation with Serbs since 2005, led by UN's rep Mr Ahtisari. The extra, 120 days of negotiation, were continuation of what started years ago, which as we all know, Serbia never fully co-operated nor gave a single indicative signal that is serious and productive for or on these talks. Only now they pretend to offer something which even that is way short of Albanians wellbeing and demands.

Kate:
If the EU is to take over, then they should stop just trailing behind US foreign policy and start creating a peaceful solution which will work for everyone.

My comment:
Now you are talking sense, even though I don't know whether, this admision, was a slip of the tongue or you woke up and realized that EU will take over, once they recognize Kosova's Independent, no matter what we think or wish.

It is so refreshing to see spineless EU taking a lead on Kosova. People remember how helpless many felt during Bosnia. Not that today’s European stance rectifies what happened in Bosnia nevertheless it is satisfactory to witness the demise of the deliberate reconstruction of nationalism
During Bosnia European policymaking was primarily influenced by the virulent vision of nationalism where the Balkans were perceived to be seething with ancient hatred and where communism was thought to be a temporary suppression of the visual divisions and differences. It was argued that the suspension was only artificial and ineffective but also an arbitrary break of a civilizing process. This view suited Serbia to the ground. Michael Ignatieff recalls his conversation with Aleksa Dijas a distinguished Serb academic on the topic where he states that ‘Civil war in Yugoslavia is part of the same process of border formation and ethnic homogenization which the rest of Europe has already been through. What is happening is the Balkanization but Europeanization, and it is irreversible’.
Aha Greater Serbia idea might have backfired. We all living proof of what that did to our people. Maintenance of political control through extensive use of terror where targeting the civilians becomes a priority did never sit easy with a European vision.

Michael John,

Since when does the "international community" consist of the US, the UK, Germany and a handful of EU countries? The United Nations consist of over 190 countries, and many of them are not friends of emperor Bush...

the future of Kosovo lies in Serbia.

it is certainly hard to understand for a rather uninterested or let´s say uninformed viewer...

but, given that there is UNSC 1244 still in effect, a socalled unilateral "declaration" would only serve as a warm hug for the Albanians´souls... it simply wouldn´t have any greater effects, since the UN-charter, the resolution 1244 and other legal documents are quite clear on this.

so, sooner or later Serbia will join the EU, but with UNSC 1244 still in effect, Serbia would enter it within it´s present borders, with Kosovo as a integral part of its territory.

the K-albanians can only hope to adjust to european and civilizational values as quick as they can, because their brutal and violent behaviour in the last eight years is very well known and will be known even more in the time to come...so ,...the Albanians can sit back and be happy for their "victory"...but in reality they are being duped, and what´s best they do not even realize it... they simply still do not realize it...

by the way: it is really senseless to reiterate time and again that it is not about religion in Kosovo - while the Albanians torched more than 160 churches and monasteries, the Saudis financed the erection of several hundred new mosques... and in times of a muslim-phobia in the western hemisphere...that is something that is certainly not serving the albanian cause!

they still come up with those tragical illusions of being the descendants of the illyrians... and their ineffectual attempts to present themselves as victims...

and last but not least...they still tend to invent new alter ego´s in order to pretend that there are many, many Albanians writing here... be it kastrioti or other dudes so eager to write their wishful thinking down in this forum.

you are simply not good enough to create that impression in a believable manner, I am sorry to say it, but nevertheless it´s simply the naked truth.

Kate,

You need to look at this in the context of European Unity and a Joint European Foreign Policy. After the EU acknowledges the independence of Kosova (if absolutely necessary I am sure the EU wont mind even including caveat that expresses Cyprus’s objections to such acknowledgment), the EU will be able to declare EU unity and most EU member countries will be able to do what they want to do which is recognize the independence of Kosova.

Perhaps you should keep in mind that the EU is not striving to achieve unity so they can recognize Kosova as a block (if that is even possible), but rather to issue a “join statement of approval for Kosova’s independence” on the basis of which EU member countries then issue individual acts of recognition (exercising their right as sovereign states).

The “acknowledgment” will provide a sufficient “legal” basis for EU countries to issue individual acts of recognition without jeopardizing EU unity and its attempts for a common foreign policy.

Your catch 22 does not make sense. We are all witnesses to the bombing of Serbia that was done without UNSC approval, and that was a bigger deal than the recognition and implementation of independence. The hard truth is the US and EU have come to realize that with the Russians there, the UNSC approach will not work, so they will avoid it completely.

You said:

“So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.”
The same goes for Serbia, Serbia was assured by Russia that independence will not be approved through the UNSC, therefore completely ruling out one of the most important options for the solution of the Kosova status.

Independence and Autonomy were all there was on the table, the Americans backed the first option and the Russians the second, so you can not blame the failure of the negotiations on the Americans when the Russians did exactly the same thing. On one side they said “mutually agreed solution” and on the other side they made it clear that they will not approve anything that Serbia is against. This was a no win situation and that is precisely what they are interested on.

The Serbian attempts to conceal autonomy behind examples like Hong Kong, Aland and other examples failed, because 2 of the 3 troika negotiators understood that all these examples lead to one thing and one thing only “The preservation of Serbian sovereignty in Kosova”.

The ‘countless offers’ presented by the Serbian team, instead of having the desired effect of proving the flexibility of the Serbian position, basically showed the international community that all Serbia is interested in is the “geographical size of the country”. And that was unacceptable to both the US and the EU, who are more interested in lasting peace in the Balkans the satisfying the nationalistic and expansionist visions of Serbian radicals.

There seems to be a lot of double speak coming from the EU on this.Why don't they just say we have decided that we have not decided anything.So they do not have unity and if each country will recognize on its own how will this affect EU voting of future subjects.
Why is no one asking Kosovo anything in return like basic standards human or economic.Is it because the EU knows the Albanians would not be able to meet a single standard? Is the world going to come to a point when they give up on trying to take Kosovo?

Kosova Independence will complete the last stages of the break-down of the Yugoslavia. Serbia has lost control of Kosova in 1999 for very good reasons.

The fact is that, the majority of Kosovo population (90%) wants independence. Let’s be democratic and let them decide their own faith. If they want Independence, they should have it.

I would also like to add that the new Kosova is not about Serbs or Albanians. The newly elected government is defining it's on identity, flag, values and wants to create a multi-cultural society that will respect the rights of all people living there.

The people of Kosova want to move forward, they cannot be kept on a limbp status. Indepedence should be recognised asap

Regards,
William Zeqiri

Michael John,

I hope that finally they will get smart and democraty minded enough to learn from their terrible mistakes and behavior and will treat ALL their remaining minorities properly.

Still trying to find loopholes. If their so certin indep will happen then do it already.

B92,
Why were my comments, again, banned?
Some b92's moderators who put their nationalistic emotion before their journalistic ethics, are giving a very bad name to b92.
It's a shame because b92 fought very hard, Milosevic's regime, and still is being witch hunted, as the other article says, yet some moderators ban my comments for no reason at all.

Is this some kind of witch hunt towards Pro Independent bloggers by some b92's moderators?

If you(b92) want us, Albanians, not to participate on this blog then why don't you put a headline "Albanians Not Allowed"

Remember if you ban Albanians and their comments then this blog will not be as popular as it is now.
To prove my point then just ban all pro Albanian & independence's comments for a week and then you will see how boring it will be for Serb's camp and anti Albanian bloggers.

P.S Oh well,where is Mr Veran Matic when we need him?

Serbia should maintain control of the Kosovo region and the UN and NATO should keep out. The Kosovo Albanian cause is one equal to the cause of other extrem muslim interests, equivalent to the Taliban or the Chechen separatist movement in the former USSR.

the K-albanians can only hope to adjust to european and civilizational values as quick as they can, because their brutal and violent behaviour in the last eight years is very well known and will be known even more in the time to come...so ,...the Albanians can sit back and be happy for their "victory"...but in reality they are being duped, and what´s best they do not even realize it... they simply still do not realize it...

by the way: it is really senseless to reiterate time and again that it is not about religion in Kosovo - while the Albanians torched more than 160 churches and monasteries, the Saudis financed the erection of several hundred new mosques... and in times of a muslim-phobia in the western hemisphere...that is something that is certainly not serving the albanian cause!

they still come up with those tragical illusions of being the descendants of the illyrians... and their ineffectual attempts to present themselves as victims...

and last but not least...they still tend to invent new alter ego´s in order to pretend that there are many, many Albanians writing here... be it kastrioti or other dudes so eager to write their wishful thinking down in this forum.

you are simply not good enough to create that impression in a believable manner, I am sorry to say it, but nevertheless it´s simply the naked truth.
(Jovan, 13 December 2007 03:35)

jovan,
Albanians are brutal & violent? Let me guess…the serbs are the victims, right? Don’t make me laugh. In case you weren’t aware of it, serbs are the only people who buy into that thinking but keep telling yourselves that and perhaps you can find a few more likeminded followers.
Isn’t it interesting how the west who is tangled up fighting terrorism across the globe are still supporting a people who’s majority happen to be muslims? What does that tell you about the propaganda that Belgrade has been spewing for years? Exactly! Go back to the drawing board.
Also, the mere attempt by your kind to play the victim will get you nothing but a big laugh. The reoccurring theme in your history is playing the role of the martyr to get sympathy and rally support amongst yourselves and Russia. Perhaps you can encourage your clergy to bless and sanction people like arkan to go out and massacre more innocent civilians and them march back to Belgrade to a hero’s welcome and proclaim that you’ve defeated the unarmed enemy.
Wake up and smell the coffee. The world may have been slow to confront Serbia but even the slowest people have figured out your pattern. Guess what? That’s more like the “naked truth.”
I’ll be surprised if this actually gets past your censors. There’s a bit too much of truth in it.

What a mess. How is a citizen of an "independent Kosovo" supposed to travel or do business in the EU if only part of the EU states recognize Kosovo?

We're not doing the people of Kosovo any favors by encouraging them down this road. There are several very practical reasons why "independence" in contravention of Resolution 1244 won't work.

Whether the Albanians like it or not, Kosovo is Serbia's territory. Their "independent" state will never be able to function unless they reach an agreement with Belgrade.

mark,

Legally, Kosovo is part of Serbia and that's not going to change no matter what the Albanians, the Americans, or anybody else might think.

In spite of that legal reality I expect that the Kosovo-Albanians will declare independence and the U.S., Albania, part of the EU, and some Islamic states will recognize it. The UN won't recognize it because Russia has a veto, part of the EU won't recognize it, some Islamic states won't recognize it, and most of the nations outside of NATO aren't going to recognize it.

Kosovo's status won't be settled -- it will be the object of an international legal dispute. A declaration of independence followed by American and partial-EU recognition won't solve any of Kosovo's problems. It will only create a bunch of new problems.

For example, how are people from Kosovo supposed to do business? Where are they supposed to get valid travel documents from if their government isn't recognized by the country they want to travel to? Given the reality of travel inside the EU -- how are they supposed to gain entry and travel freely in the EU if part of the EU doesn't recognize their government's sovregnity?

The only way for Kosovo to really move forward is to reach an agreement with Belgrade. Otherwise Kosovo's status will remain the subject of an international legal dispute. It won't be attractive to foreign investment and it's economy won't be able to function.

The economy is Kosovo's biggest problem. Nobody would care about ethnic issues if everybody in Kosovo had a job and people could afford to put a roof over their heads and put food on their table.

Making a legal nightmare out of Kosovo's territorial status isn't going to help anybody except the black market. It's only going to make things worse -- and God only knows what what will happen when the Albanians figure out that independence isn't the magic panacea they thought it would be.

Mark my words. If Kosovo goes down this road it will be a failed state.

familiar with the term "sour grapes?" after the fox walked away from not being able to reach the grapes, he just assumed they were sour anyway.
reading through these comments by those opposed to a free kosove, i can see a direct correlation to those individuals and the fox.
arrogance, poor attitude, bitter resentment, hostility, etc...these are all on display here.
why is it you're willing to negotiate and "play ball" now as oppossed to ever before when mass murder was your preferred option of diplomacy?

Whether the Albanians like it or not, Kosovo is Serbia's territory. Their "independent" state will never be able to function unless they reach an agreement with Belgrade.
(Marcus, 14 December 2007 21:22)

have your say because you're entitled to it but the reality of the ground suggests otherwise.

you make some valid points, marcus, but it can't be worse then the status quo. if what you suggest occurs, it will not benefit serbia either because that festering wound will be a reminder for the EU nations as serbia seeks further integration. if they want to drag their feet, it will come back to haunt them, too.

Doesn’t look that bad. At least now EU is talking about the solution and the solution has a name "INDEPENDECE".
Countries that do not support the Independence will wait to see the effects, and if there none them join the club.
This is a positive approach form the big guys in the World politics. This way Kosova and Serbia can develop without any political problems.

But EU can “acknowledge” whatever they want, still wont mean a thing!!

Half of the albanians kosovars interviewed by BBC told that the only reason they want endependence is that they will get the chance to go and live abroad: that already scared the brits for a probably second albanian invasion since 1991!

clean cut
Have you seen any present day
islamic state applying the
multiethnicity model ?This is
totally incompatible with the
teachings of couran.Christian
populations are infidel and
must be either converted or
eliminated according to the
prophet. The clash of religions has already begun.
Is taking place in many parts
of the world.

The overwhelming majority of EU is for Kosova's Independence while Serbia's hopes are based on Cyprus...
This is the reality...Sad for Serbia Great for Kosova.

Kosova is de facto independent since 8 years and it will be acknoledged de jure very soon. Cyprus is the only state that for good reasons is not "on board" yet, but it will recognize Kosova when the right time comes. Very soon we will have a long lasting peace in this part of Europe. Albanians and Serbs of Kosova/o will govern their state and share power and culture in an multiethnik state. Their rights and freedoms will be watched in scrutiny by international community. Kosova will soon be an example of co-existence and prosperity. Violence doesn't bring anything good to our people. We should all distance ourselves from those who promote violence and wars. The future will be better for all of us. I believe that Albanian and Serbian nations have the power to re-establish relations in a different dimmension for the sake of our children and their future.

What a suprise.

i will be congratulating my fellow country Men/Women on our Independancy within weeks.

Albanians seeking independence in order to emigrate? That's the most desperate comment I've ever heard. But Serbia is the most interested part to FULLY empty Kosovo in order to colonize it like it did since Serbia occupied it in 1912. Look at the albanian-kosovar diaspora in the west. It is huge. Do you know why? Serbs created it. By discriminating albanians, exploiting them, closing for them all the job and education opportunities. So, what a man would do if faced to such a reality? I'd emigrate. That's why albanians are the most popular immigrant from the Balkans in the EU since the early years of the creation of the Country of Southern Slavs. And that's why we albanians have worked since then, to give an end to such a inhumane treatment, to get rid of the occupation from a country which considers us as "foreigners" to our land. Now the time is up. Most of the world backs us.

Someone wrote
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.....!"

Well, well ... you and your followers are already into this web of lies and deceit sown around you by likes of Grasanin, Rankovic, Seselj, Milosevic, your political elite and your religious leaders, and is preventing not only you but regretfully all your political establishment to see through it. The looming Kosovo independence should be a shock therapy for all pseudo politicians, revisionist, speculators, and liars, and should enable ordinary people to see through this web of lies and deceit and move forward. Unfortunately, when one reads your comments here it realizes that this will not happen.

"the whole process could take months, which is why it is important for the EU to "begin its mission in Kosovo to maintain the “rule of law,” which would, in a timeframe of 90 to 120 days replace UNMIK,"

- how do they intend to replace UNMIK with EUMIK without UN SC authorisation? 1244 states

"5. Decides on the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, of
international civil and security presences, with appropriate equipment and
personnel as required, and welcomes the agreement of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia to such presences;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with the
Security Council, a Special Representative to control the implementation of the
international civil presence,"

They have no legal basis upon which any of this can happen without UN Security Council approval. Like the Spanish Minister states;

“violating laws has never done any good in history.”

Bluster and hot air the reality is the question must be answered;

Does the US and the "few" EU states pushing US foreign policy diktact upon the rest of the EU wish to uphold the laws that they are obliged to uphold - which has provided stability?

Or do they flagrantly act against and undermine the whole credibility of the UN, every single UN resolution and all other international norms and laws that provide and be accountabl efor the greatest instability possible ?

It's the 12th December and CFE no longer will apply after midnight tonight!

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.....!

So obviously this news is just a propaganda for Albanian ears in order to keep them quiet. Anyone with half a brain would pick this up in 3 seconds.

Anyone who is pro independence and reads this story as positive in any way is viewing the situation through rose tinted glasses.

All this basically says is that consensus is needed to even 'acknowledge' independence as a unity, and even this is far from being secured.

"However, the whole process could take months, which is why it is important for the EU to begin its mission in Kosovo to maintain the “rule of law,” which would, in a timeframe of 90 to 120 days replace UNMIK, thus beginning limited implementation of Martti Ahtisaari’s internationally-supervised independence plan."

This is Catch 22. The EU cannot set up such a mission on Serbian soil without approval by the UN Security Council, especially now they have stated that their aim is to implement independence once they are there!

And even if they did manage to wangle their way around this and establish themselves in Kosovo, they would only have a mandate by proxy via the UN and no right to make any decisions.

Again, the only route is the UN Security Council.

There is still the option of coming to a compromise on this entire issue, whether it may be a high level of autonomy or some sort of partition - whatever both sides can COMPROMISE on.

So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.

If the EU is to take over, then they should stop just trailing behind US foreign policy and start creating a peaceful solution which will work for everyone.

I am writing from London at the moment.
I can assure you, people here cannot tell bosnia from kosovo,
and dont care about it.

I even read an article on some local paper about the danger of christianity in Kosovo.

Its only 2-3 politicians in UK that actually care about their interests in KiM.

So dont be so sure about UK either!!!

P.S.
Did i say the brits are afraid of albanians??

To: Princip, Kate, bmrusila and other Serb Apologists.

It is time to give up on Kosovo since it is clear that the international community is in favor of independence.

You should now concentrate your propaganda efforts in trying to hold onto Vojvodina and Sandzak because they also are planning to get independence from Serbia.

Kate,

You need to look at this in the context of European Unity and a Joint European Foreign Policy. After the EU acknowledges the independence of Kosova (if absolutely necessary I am sure the EU wont mind even including caveat that expresses Cyprus’s objections to such acknowledgment), the EU will be able to declare EU unity and most EU member countries will be able to do what they want to do which is recognize the independence of Kosova.

Perhaps you should keep in mind that the EU is not striving to achieve unity so they can recognize Kosova as a block (if that is even possible), but rather to issue a “join statement of approval for Kosova’s independence” on the basis of which EU member countries then issue individual acts of recognition (exercising their right as sovereign states).

The “acknowledgment” will provide a sufficient “legal” basis for EU countries to issue individual acts of recognition without jeopardizing EU unity and its attempts for a common foreign policy.

Your catch 22 does not make sense. We are all witnesses to the bombing of Serbia that was done without UNSC approval, and that was a bigger deal than the recognition and implementation of independence. The hard truth is the US and EU have come to realize that with the Russians there, the UNSC approach will not work, so they will avoid it completely.

You said:

“So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.”
The same goes for Serbia, Serbia was assured by Russia that independence will not be approved through the UNSC, therefore completely ruling out one of the most important options for the solution of the Kosova status.

Independence and Autonomy were all there was on the table, the Americans backed the first option and the Russians the second, so you can not blame the failure of the negotiations on the Americans when the Russians did exactly the same thing. On one side they said “mutually agreed solution” and on the other side they made it clear that they will not approve anything that Serbia is against. This was a no win situation and that is precisely what they are interested on.

The Serbian attempts to conceal autonomy behind examples like Hong Kong, Aland and other examples failed, because 2 of the 3 troika negotiators understood that all these examples lead to one thing and one thing only “The preservation of Serbian sovereignty in Kosova”.

The ‘countless offers’ presented by the Serbian team, instead of having the desired effect of proving the flexibility of the Serbian position, basically showed the international community that all Serbia is interested in is the “geographical size of the country”. And that was unacceptable to both the US and the EU, who are more interested in lasting peace in the Balkans the satisfying the nationalistic and expansionist visions of Serbian radicals.

Kosova Independence will complete the last stages of the break-down of the Yugoslavia. Serbia has lost control of Kosova in 1999 for very good reasons.

The fact is that, the majority of Kosovo population (90%) wants independence. Let’s be democratic and let them decide their own faith. If they want Independence, they should have it.

I would also like to add that the new Kosova is not about Serbs or Albanians. The newly elected government is defining it's on identity, flag, values and wants to create a multi-cultural society that will respect the rights of all people living there.

The people of Kosova want to move forward, they cannot be kept on a limbp status. Indepedence should be recognised asap

Regards,
William Zeqiri

Princip, kate;

You guys should get together and join the car lazar movement!

There is no way forward for Kosova & Serbia, forget the past and move forward as 2 Independent stats... the EU is around the corner!!

There is no need to move into racisms or hatred as this was the first step that caused the breakdown of the very successful YUGO

Well well well...the EU is already starting to backtrack. 'Acknowledging' greater albania means nothing. You can acknowledge something without recognizing it, and any legal change of borders has to go through the UN, period.
Yes, we all 'acknowledge' that the albanians would like to cleanse Kosovo of all Serbs and create an ethnically pure greater albania, but we 'recognize' the fact that Kosovo is sacred Serbian land, and this will never change.

Kate,

You need to look at this in the context of European Unity and a Joint European Foreign Policy. After the EU acknowledges the independence of Kosova (if absolutely necessary I am sure the EU wont mind even including caveat that expresses Cyprus’s objections to such acknowledgment), the EU will be able to declare EU unity and most EU member countries will be able to do what they want to do which is recognize the independence of Kosova.

Perhaps you should keep in mind that the EU is not striving to achieve unity so they can recognize Kosova as a block (if that is even possible), but rather to issue a “join statement of approval for Kosova’s independence” on the basis of which EU member countries then issue individual acts of recognition (exercising their right as sovereign states).

The “acknowledgment” will provide a sufficient “legal” basis for EU countries to issue individual acts of recognition without jeopardizing EU unity and its attempts for a common foreign policy.

Your catch 22 does not make sense. We are all witnesses to the bombing of Serbia that was done without UNSC approval, and that was a bigger deal than the recognition and implementation of independence. The hard truth is the US and EU have come to realize that with the Russians there, the UNSC approach will not work, so they will avoid it completely.

You said:

“So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.”
The same goes for Serbia, Serbia was assured by Russia that independence will not be approved through the UNSC, therefore completely ruling out one of the most important options for the solution of the Kosova status.

Independence and Autonomy were all there was on the table, the Americans backed the first option and the Russians the second, so you can not blame the failure of the negotiations on the Americans when the Russians did exactly the same thing. On one side they said “mutually agreed solution” and on the other side they made it clear that they will not approve anything that Serbia is against. This was a no win situation and that is precisely what they are interested on.

The Serbian attempts to conceal autonomy behind examples like Hong Kong, Aland and other examples failed, because 2 of the 3 troika negotiators understood that all these examples lead to one thing and one thing only “The preservation of Serbian sovereignty in Kosova”.

The ‘countless offers’ presented by the Serbian team, instead of having the desired effect of proving the flexibility of the Serbian position, basically showed the international community that all Serbia is interested in is the “geographical size of the country”. And that was unacceptable to both the US and the EU, who are more interested in lasting peace in the Balkans the satisfying the nationalistic and expansionist visions of Serbian radicals.

gerry:
An Islamic state is something entirely different from a majority Muslim country. Albania is majority Muslim,and as an Orthodox Christian I can tell you that we have never in our history had a religious war or conflict like the ones the South Slavs excel at. Religion for us is something that belongs in our private lives and not in politics and that guarantees harmony. It used to be the same in Bosnia before everyone went crazy in the early 90s and I guess you can address any inquiries you have on the subject to the Serb camp here. They should know a thing or two about it.

Kate:
People used to say that NATO could not bomb Serbia without SC approval and look at what happened. And if you look carefully you would see that the same is happening all over again. We are getting independence without SC approval. Do we care? Not as along as the US and most of the EU recognize us. The rest will too in a few years and the EU integration of our region will mark the end of it. This is a long process where the new country of Kosova is gonna become more recognized as time goes by, but for starters it is enough to have the US and the biggies in the EU behind us. The fact that most of the EU supports us is a big bonus too.And take a wild guess Kate: is the Serbian claim to Kosova gonna become stronger or weaker as years go by?

dont you have better things to do in London than ask about Kosova.By the way, if you happen to go to Buckingham palace road you can find the Kosova conatc office.

Resolution 1244 Section 11 is the ona that is being interpreted at UNSC.

Good luck to all citizen of last ex-Yugoslavian republic of Serbia.

I suppose Cyprus will tilt the entire EU decision-making process now and Kosovo will not be made independent.
Pyrros as for your ridicuous comment that only 4 UK politicians worry about the outcome of Kosovo, I simply refuse to belive that you're actually based in the UK. What do you read?

clean cut
Have you seen any present day
islamic state applying the
multiethnicity model ?This is
totally incompatible with the
teachings of couran.Christian
populations are infidel and
must be either converted or
eliminated according to the
prophet. The clash of religions has already begun.
Is taking place in many parts
of the world.
(garry, 12 December 2007 13:46)

While to serbs the conflict in Kosovo might have to do with religion, as we have seen in many cases when they refer to albanians as Muslims, for K. Albanians the conflict has absoltuely nothing to do with religion - we are very secular in general.

your propaganda just shows how seriously uninformed you are about Kosovo and K. Albanians.

It is so refreshing to see spineless EU taking a lead on Kosova. People remember how helpless many felt during Bosnia. Not that today’s European stance rectifies what happened in Bosnia nevertheless it is satisfactory to witness the demise of the deliberate reconstruction of nationalism
During Bosnia European policymaking was primarily influenced by the virulent vision of nationalism where the Balkans were perceived to be seething with ancient hatred and where communism was thought to be a temporary suppression of the visual divisions and differences. It was argued that the suspension was only artificial and ineffective but also an arbitrary break of a civilizing process. This view suited Serbia to the ground. Michael Ignatieff recalls his conversation with Aleksa Dijas a distinguished Serb academic on the topic where he states that ‘Civil war in Yugoslavia is part of the same process of border formation and ethnic homogenization which the rest of Europe has already been through. What is happening is the Balkanization but Europeanization, and it is irreversible’.
Aha Greater Serbia idea might have backfired. We all living proof of what that did to our people. Maintenance of political control through extensive use of terror where targeting the civilians becomes a priority did never sit easy with a European vision.

Michael John,

I hope that finally they will get smart and democraty minded enough to learn from their terrible mistakes and behavior and will treat ALL their remaining minorities properly.

Princip, Kate
It is a victory for Kosova to be recognized by Albania alone. It is even more success to be recognized by US, France, UK, and other major powers. Most of EU states will recognize Kosova. Even if Kosova was never recognized by all EU, it is still independent from Serbia. At this point anything but being in the same borders with Serbia will work. There is not a single Albanian soul who wants or will allow for Kosova to be part of Serbia. Kosova is independent like it or not

familiar with the term "sour grapes?" after the fox walked away from not being able to reach the grapes, he just assumed they were sour anyway.
reading through these comments by those opposed to a free kosove, i can see a direct correlation to those individuals and the fox.
arrogance, poor attitude, bitter resentment, hostility, etc...these are all on display here.
why is it you're willing to negotiate and "play ball" now as oppossed to ever before when mass murder was your preferred option of diplomacy?

And I thought that Mr Sweedish Minister was honest man who claimed that only ONE country is not on the board. This was yesterday and today we hear totally the oposite statements. I see that EU is in real mess and not unified at all.

The worst scenario for Kosovo is to proclame independence and to let countries recognize it individualy+discretely. In that case I am sure that less than half of EU will recognise(since many of them expressed mistrust).

This is also very positive if International Court decide in favour of Serbia meaning that countries who illegaly recognise Kosovo will have to pay Serbia precompensation.

And yet after all in order to allow Kosovo proclame indepndence the EU has to be unified as stated:

"Sources said that while this was a probable scenario, there was a long road ahead because “finding a united stance is still required, which will have to be worked on since the situation is far from clear-cut.”

This is truly amusing!!!

This post sums it up the best from Tomislav yesterday:

"You are still a land-locked little piece of land that has lost the North and have no vision to put people to work. Please, stop thumping your chests and get real. With independence comes real responsibilities that many of your leaders have shown they lack. I for one have thrown in the towel years ago on the region and chose to focus and making more wealth in North America rather than send money back to my money-grubbing relatives who stay home for "the cause." Many of you are clueless as you are arrogant. Go ahead, declare yourself independent. You better have a nice account to feed the numerous relatives still in KosovO that have no future ahead of them. Your sophmoric little "Nah-nah-nah" remarks show your utter lack of maturity. No wonder I haven't run into any REAL Albanian Academics over here. You guys are too busy living about "THE CAUSE."

Could not have said it better myself.

I live in Finsbury, I can tell that unless you read just the sun or daily sport, but read proper newspapers you would realize that there's a real concern about a new wave of immigrations from Kosovo, considering the previus one from Albania.

Of course the Labour party have to play it cool since a good stock of their voters are immigrants.

Trust me on this: Brits really don't care about Albanians in kosovo, but the level of new immigration is a real concern.

Kate,
"Anyone who is pro independence and reads this story as positive in any way is viewing the situation through rose tinted glasses."

My comment,
Kate, you never cease to amaze me with your oh so biased comments. You say one thing only to contradict yourself the next.

Let see who is seeing through a rose tinted glass here.

Kate: "This is Catch 22. The EU cannot set up such a mission on Serbian soil without approval by the UN Security Council, especially now they have stated that their aim is to implement independence once they are there!"

My comment:
So Kate, if you are not seeing through the rose tinted glass, then you would know that, once Kosova declares the Independent and then recognized by USA and EU, it will only take few seconds for Kosova's gov to invite EU to bring their troops & officals in Kosova. Or even a call to "occupy Kosova", if you like to call it, for that matter.

In another word, why would EU consider Kosova as a Serbian soil when Kosova is already(onced recognised) a recognized state? It is a common sense that EUMIK will send its official to Kosova once Kosova is recognized by EU and not prior. So much for your Catch 22. :)

Kate:
"There is still the option of coming to a compromise on this entire issue, whether it may be a high level of autonomy or some sort of partition - whatever both sides can COMPROMISE on."


My comment:
Oh dear, how on earth can you insist on COMPROMISE(as you shout) when you always insist either your way(Autonomy only) or nothing, and only lately, you came up with a partition, as another far fetched offer of yours?
Yeah right, both sides have to compromise but only on Autonomy or only on Serbian offer, or yours in this matter

Kate:
So much time has been wasted because these talks have not been used productively by the Kosovo Albanian negotiating team due to the fact that the US has been assuring them that they could have independence anyway.

My comment:
Anyone who is anti independence and reads your comments as positive and true in any way, is viewing the situation through a blackcurrant, not even rose, tinted glass. Don't you know that we, Albanians, made compromise after compromises for years and years? Despite our compromises, everyone knows what was Serbian's compromise, batons on our heads, bullets, rape, killings etc. And last but not least, after post war, we were on negotiation with Serbs since 2005, led by UN's rep Mr Ahtisari. The extra, 120 days of negotiation, were continuation of what started years ago, which as we all know, Serbia never fully co-operated nor gave a single indicative signal that is serious and productive for or on these talks. Only now they pretend to offer something which even that is way short of Albanians wellbeing and demands.

Kate:
If the EU is to take over, then they should stop just trailing behind US foreign policy and start creating a peaceful solution which will work for everyone.

My comment:
Now you are talking sense, even though I don't know whether, this admision, was a slip of the tongue or you woke up and realized that EU will take over, once they recognize Kosova's Independent, no matter what we think or wish.

Kosovo Albanians,

It is not a surprise that countries like the US, the UK, Germany and France support you (but not all of the EU, like is falsely written these days). Countries with a proven track record of oppressing many people throughout history and so it is not a surprise that they like to support former Nazi allies (because that is what you are). How do you people think about the fact that the US treated its black (sorry, African American) citizens much much worse than the Serbs ever treated you? Did you say "That is an outrage"? Probably not. You guys have been taking advantage of the money sent to you while there was still a Yugoslavia and what did you do? Nothing and now you are blaming the Serbs for all your missery. Of course the Serbs would like to see all of you move to Albania (you guys did a good job by yourself in 1999), but one has to be realistic. For a long time I have been following many comments. The one things that I have never read is a descent plan what to do once Kosovo is independent. How are you guys going to make money to run your utopia society? Serbia is not going to pay your bills anymore and at some point of time the EU and US will get sick of you. Maffia and drugs like now? The EU would make a huge historical mistake by granting you people independence (they cannot grant anything, support at best). The blah blah blah that you deserve it is complete nosense. Now you are trying to be nice by promoting a multi-ethnic society, but you have done absolutely nothing to integrate into the society you are a part of (like many Muslims in Western societies). Of course I do not like to see you guys get independence and an EU membership (plus passport). We do want to see you guys (and girls) flood Western Europe and take our jobs. Please go to the countries whose people really supported you useless case. The main conclusion is that despite all the bad stories for the last 16 years most people here would favour a Serb over a Kosovo Albanian any day of the year. You people should be much less arrogant and learn a little bit about reality. Keep on dreaming and get a life (Serbia is still the best option for a descent future).

the K-albanians can only hope to adjust to european and civilizational values as quick as they can, because their brutal and violent behaviour in the last eight years is very well known and will be known even more in the time to come...so ,...the Albanians can sit back and be happy for their "victory"...but in reality they are being duped, and what´s best they do not even realize it... they simply still do not realize it...

by the way: it is really senseless to reiterate time and again that it is not about religion in Kosovo - while the Albanians torched more than 160 churches and monasteries, the Saudis financed the erection of several hundred new mosques... and in times of a muslim-phobia in the western hemisphere...that is something that is certainly not serving the albanian cause!

they still come up with those tragical illusions of being the descendants of the illyrians... and their ineffectual attempts to present themselves as victims...

and last but not least...they still tend to invent new alter ego´s in order to pretend that there are many, many Albanians writing here... be it kastrioti or other dudes so eager to write their wishful thinking down in this forum.

you are simply not good enough to create that impression in a believable manner, I am sorry to say it, but nevertheless it´s simply the naked truth.
(Jovan, 13 December 2007 03:35)

jovan,
Albanians are brutal & violent? Let me guess…the serbs are the victims, right? Don’t make me laugh. In case you weren’t aware of it, serbs are the only people who buy into that thinking but keep telling yourselves that and perhaps you can find a few more likeminded followers.
Isn’t it interesting how the west who is tangled up fighting terrorism across the globe are still supporting a people who’s majority happen to be muslims? What does that tell you about the propaganda that Belgrade has been spewing for years? Exactly! Go back to the drawing board.
Also, the mere attempt by your kind to play the victim will get you nothing but a big laugh. The reoccurring theme in your history is playing the role of the martyr to get sympathy and rally support amongst yourselves and Russia. Perhaps you can encourage your clergy to bless and sanction people like arkan to go out and massacre more innocent civilians and them march back to Belgrade to a hero’s welcome and proclaim that you’ve defeated the unarmed enemy.
Wake up and smell the coffee. The world may have been slow to confront Serbia but even the slowest people have figured out your pattern. Guess what? That’s more like the “naked truth.”
I’ll be surprised if this actually gets past your censors. There’s a bit too much of truth in it.

Whether the Albanians like it or not, Kosovo is Serbia's territory. Their "independent" state will never be able to function unless they reach an agreement with Belgrade.
(Marcus, 14 December 2007 21:22)

have your say because you're entitled to it but the reality of the ground suggests otherwise.

the truth of the matter is that EU has not yet made up its mind whether to be united or not. in short EU is still a confused entity when it comes to kosovo indep.

"God forbid that Cyprus should agree, even if the rest of the EU decides to recognize the independence of Kosovo, even if there are reactions to our behavior," the Cypriot News Agency (CAN) quoted Palmas as saying.

WHAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT?
How can Kosovo join if Cyprus doesnt recognise it? it cant! the end. EU, Serbia is the NUT u will break your teeth on. CCCC

@Marko,

That is very true what you have said. The thing is that Serbia has real problem with Albanians. The clearly EU does not want Kosovo and therfore wants Serbia to give up from Kosovo and join EU as soon as posible. Serbia of course rejects this. The EU fear even to open the borders with Serbia because of possible huge migration not only of K-Albanians but Albanians from Albania who can pass the border very smoothly since no one takes care of the border with Albania. Actually the border does not exist any longer, it is open space. Who knows how many of them already settled in Kosovo and who knows how many of them are walking freely in Serbia. One thing is for sure-the border with Albania must either closed or strictly protected by UNMIK or even KFOR. EU does not care for Albanians but they just want to protect themselves from migration and that's it.

the future of Kosovo lies in Serbia.

it is certainly hard to understand for a rather uninterested or let´s say uninformed viewer...

but, given that there is UNSC 1244 still in effect, a socalled unilateral "declaration" would only serve as a warm hug for the Albanians´souls... it simply wouldn´t have any greater effects, since the UN-charter, the resolution 1244 and other legal documents are quite clear on this.

so, sooner or later Serbia will join the EU, but with UNSC 1244 still in effect, Serbia would enter it within it´s present borders, with Kosovo as a integral part of its territory.

the K-albanians can only hope to adjust to european and civilizational values as quick as they can, because their brutal and violent behaviour in the last eight years is very well known and will be known even more in the time to come...so ,...the Albanians can sit back and be happy for their "victory"...but in reality they are being duped, and what´s best they do not even realize it... they simply still do not realize it...

by the way: it is really senseless to reiterate time and again that it is not about religion in Kosovo - while the Albanians torched more than 160 churches and monasteries, the Saudis financed the erection of several hundred new mosques... and in times of a muslim-phobia in the western hemisphere...that is something that is certainly not serving the albanian cause!

they still come up with those tragical illusions of being the descendants of the illyrians... and their ineffectual attempts to present themselves as victims...

and last but not least...they still tend to invent new alter ego´s in order to pretend that there are many, many Albanians writing here... be it kastrioti or other dudes so eager to write their wishful thinking down in this forum.

you are simply not good enough to create that impression in a believable manner, I am sorry to say it, but nevertheless it´s simply the naked truth.

B92,
Why were my comments, again, banned?
Some b92's moderators who put their nationalistic emotion before their journalistic ethics, are giving a very bad name to b92.
It's a shame because b92 fought very hard, Milosevic's regime, and still is being witch hunted, as the other article says, yet some moderators ban my comments for no reason at all.

Is this some kind of witch hunt towards Pro Independent bloggers by some b92's moderators?

If you(b92) want us, Albanians, not to participate on this blog then why don't you put a headline "Albanians Not Allowed"

Remember if you ban Albanians and their comments then this blog will not be as popular as it is now.
To prove my point then just ban all pro Albanian & independence's comments for a week and then you will see how boring it will be for Serb's camp and anti Albanian bloggers.

P.S Oh well,where is Mr Veran Matic when we need him?

"However, while the EU will acknowledge that Kosovo has proclaimed independence, it will allow every individual member-state to decide on its own whether to recognize Kosovo’s independence of not, sources from Brussels have told the Beta news agency."

Fine when it comes to the independence question, but then what will happen later when Kosovo will want to join other organizations (including the EU itself)?

The way the international community has handled this affair is wrong. There is disunity in the UN, disunity in the EU, it really goes to show that they have not handled this well.

I think I have said everything on my mind with regards to this whole affair, I wish the people of the Balkans the best and hope that one day they will live in peace with each other, and may Europe be free from such hatred.

"dont you have better things to do in London than ask about Kosova"

What a hypocritical comment.
You want the Brits to support your drive for independence and you want their tax dollars to continue to provide you with a living.

You are then rude to them when they express an opinion that you don't happen to like.

How foolish of you to bite the hand that feeds you.

James today you say;

"The looming Kosovo independence should be a shock therapy for all pseudo politicians, revisionist, speculators, and liars, and should enable ordinary people to see through this web of lies and deceit and move forward. Unfortunately, when one reads your comments here it realizes that this will not happen."
(james, 12 December 2007 16:01)

But who is making up things then when last year you said;

"Recent deal to let Russia join the WTO is the message many Serbs failed to recognize. That Russia has been brought on board the Kosova Independence speeding bullet train. Excellent mentors, those democratic Americans."
(James, 12 November 2006, 00:09)
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/comments.php?nav_id=37907

Could it be the excellent mentors of spin and deception have fooled you so much with their false promise that you no longer respect the very foundations of the UN and international law?

one thing is certain illegal secession in your words "will not happen."

Oh what a tangled web.......

Still trying to find loopholes. If their so certin indep will happen then do it already.

Michael John,

Since when does the "international community" consist of the US, the UK, Germany and a handful of EU countries? The United Nations consist of over 190 countries, and many of them are not friends of emperor Bush...

There seems to be a lot of double speak coming from the EU on this.Why don't they just say we have decided that we have not decided anything.So they do not have unity and if each country will recognize on its own how will this affect EU voting of future subjects.
Why is no one asking Kosovo anything in return like basic standards human or economic.Is it because the EU knows the Albanians would not be able to meet a single standard? Is the world going to come to a point when they give up on trying to take Kosovo?

What a mess. How is a citizen of an "independent Kosovo" supposed to travel or do business in the EU if only part of the EU states recognize Kosovo?

We're not doing the people of Kosovo any favors by encouraging them down this road. There are several very practical reasons why "independence" in contravention of Resolution 1244 won't work.

Whether the Albanians like it or not, Kosovo is Serbia's territory. Their "independent" state will never be able to function unless they reach an agreement with Belgrade.

Serbia should maintain control of the Kosovo region and the UN and NATO should keep out. The Kosovo Albanian cause is one equal to the cause of other extrem muslim interests, equivalent to the Taliban or the Chechen separatist movement in the former USSR.

mark,

Legally, Kosovo is part of Serbia and that's not going to change no matter what the Albanians, the Americans, or anybody else might think.

In spite of that legal reality I expect that the Kosovo-Albanians will declare independence and the U.S., Albania, part of the EU, and some Islamic states will recognize it. The UN won't recognize it because Russia has a veto, part of the EU won't recognize it, some Islamic states won't recognize it, and most of the nations outside of NATO aren't going to recognize it.

Kosovo's status won't be settled -- it will be the object of an international legal dispute. A declaration of independence followed by American and partial-EU recognition won't solve any of Kosovo's problems. It will only create a bunch of new problems.

For example, how are people from Kosovo supposed to do business? Where are they supposed to get valid travel documents from if their government isn't recognized by the country they want to travel to? Given the reality of travel inside the EU -- how are they supposed to gain entry and travel freely in the EU if part of the EU doesn't recognize their government's sovregnity?

The only way for Kosovo to really move forward is to reach an agreement with Belgrade. Otherwise Kosovo's status will remain the subject of an international legal dispute. It won't be attractive to foreign investment and it's economy won't be able to function.

The economy is Kosovo's biggest problem. Nobody would care about ethnic issues if everybody in Kosovo had a job and people could afford to put a roof over their heads and put food on their table.

Making a legal nightmare out of Kosovo's territorial status isn't going to help anybody except the black market. It's only going to make things worse -- and God only knows what what will happen when the Albanians figure out that independence isn't the magic panacea they thought it would be.

Mark my words. If Kosovo goes down this road it will be a failed state.

you make some valid points, marcus, but it can't be worse then the status quo. if what you suggest occurs, it will not benefit serbia either because that festering wound will be a reminder for the EU nations as serbia seeks further integration. if they want to drag their feet, it will come back to haunt them, too.