Ceku adviser: Kosovo won't have full independence

I find this very reassuring that a Kosovo government official has come out with something other than the usual 'independence only'. It seems like he may be laying the ground for easing the population into accepting thing aren't just black and white.

Basically what they're talking about is Kosovo remaining some sort of continued protectorate with various elements of international status.

The bottom line is the danger involved in prising part of Serbia's territory away from her, in a time when there is no war and no dispute over who legally owns the province.

Personally I think that IF there is a UDI the province will immediately be partitioned, and some version of the A Plan will be introduced into the southern area.

Shame that this couldn't be sorted out by the people who actually live there - Serbs and Albanians, both of whom are now at the mercy of the international community.

“The period of supervised independence will end when Kosovo becomes a fully-fledged member of the EU, where there is no unlimited or complete sovereignty either.”

This article confirms that Kosovo's independence is a myth and will always remain so. It also confirms the rulers of the Albanians will indefinitely be NATO, a military organisation. Lets see what happens once the honeymoon is over!

There is absolutely no chance it will ever become a fully-fledged member of the EU either. More than enough members have already expressed strong opposition.

Serbia's offer of a large degree of autonomy is the best they'll ever get but by the time the Albanians realise this, it will be too late.

“You have this minority syndrome and the unwillingness to assume responsibility. They have to know that with the status of the majority population comes majority responsibility, and that the majority population assumes responsibility for everything that goes on in" SERBIA concluded Princip.
- Ironic really that these so called "advisors" dont see the contradiction in their own words when realted back to them!!!

just like some mature individual has put it some months ago:

"Russia will back down before the one and only global super-power" ( and we know how they backed down in the UNSC, right? )

just as that illusion floated away...

just like that, the other illusion will do the same.

"nobody cares about resolution 1244 "

UNSC 1244 seems to remain valid, indeed.

and Mr. Gorani is just trying to make it look like you have won...

just as I have told you so long ago.
bottom-line is:

it could be that in some time further in the future, you will be explained that you are still on serbian territory...

let´s see what future brings.

All this said here looks like no independence at all but sort of colonization. Albanians will have no power over decision-making. President and the prime minister of Kosovo will serve just as a sidetrack. I must admit that Serbia was more generous with its offer and sooner or later Albanian will realise it. As Gorani said Kosovo is just an experiment but what he failed to say is that experiments often last very long and very often do not give positive results.

However, few days ago Czech Republic said that they won’t recognise Kosovo until Kosovo reach certain standards in legal system, human and minority rights, and so on. I believe it will take years at best if not ever, to recognise Kosovo.

That's what we in Serb camp have been telling the Albainan camp all along. now you have one of your own telling you.

This is very encouraring.

I really want to encourage both sides to solve this conflict in a peaceful matter, within the borders of Serbia.

Good news!

Love to all from Holland!

This is quite possibly the first mature statment to come out of the Pristina camp.

It also confirms the sobering realities of obstacles to independence on every level. Never mind that Russia will veto any UN resolution on Kosovo independence, the EU has been hinting at downgrading Kosovo's status for some time, given the firm oppostion to recognition by Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and others. The EU wants a success story, not egg on their face. In this regard, they can push for EU protectorate within an extremely loosely defined Serbian framework and get the EU unanimity they need. Plus, it also solifies Tadic's position of Serbia within the EU along with Kosovo.

The bottom line is this: status does not make life better. Standards do. With enough reports on Kosovo coming out of late that explains the paltry judiciary system, the continued presence of organized crime, and the grim news of malnourishment among certain sectors of society, efforts should be made to improve the lives of the people that live there, not worry about what to call the region.

I think Mr. Gorani finally realizes that the end result will be EU support but fall short of full and formal independence.

In the nine years free from Serbian influence, Kosovo has failed miserably to establish even the rudiments of a civic society. An economy in tatters, a legal system in shreds and a thriving criminal underworld. Could do better.

No matter what happens in the near future , Kosovo will not be in any sense independent. On the one hand there's a continuation of the present state of affairs where every feature of civic society is propped up by EU/NATO and all economic development subsidised by the same people. There is a word for this - a colony.

The alternative is very wide-ranging autonomy within Serbia with most important decisions made by the people of Kosovo themselves and an open road to the EU if that's what people want.

If the political leadership in Kosovo had any vision they would stop acting like demagogues and leading their people up the garden path. You can be sure that no matter where it all ends, Thaci & Co will look after themselves. It seems to me that the ordinary Albanians in Kosovo are being sold a pup.

We will see after your run off election. Kosova will be indipendent and will prosper. You serbes will be left to be puppets of Russia. You hasve not learned from TITO. Do not ally with Russia for it will cost you more. Soon you will find out when you will be turned into what Ukraine used to be.. LOL join th EU and than maybe you can keep Vojvodina. For now they are talking of breaking away and joining Hugary since they are now in the EU. The comments by Goran are not substantieted and the people of Kosova will settle for nothing short of indipendence

I am puzzled by this statement. Whom is this man addressing: Albanians or the international community? I guess this is for the international press as he avoids to become specific about anything.

If this would be for the local press it would count as an extremely incoherent talk that leaves everybody guess what he wants to communicate.

I do not agree with George and his optimism about the positive influence of the EU. Kosovo is not Romania. In 8 years a lot of peacekeepers have not been able to normalise the situation, so how would a much smaller international representation make a difference?

Mr. Gorani is right, talking about the "responsibility of majority" (by the way, more message like this are needed in Pristina, these days...)

If (and I stress, "if") Kosovo will be independent, then K/Albanians should better be fully aware about their obligations toward the other communities, regardless ethnicity, language, religion etc. It is not enough to talk about an all inclusive "country for all its citizens", especially having in mind that the same Intl. Community who may "give" independence to Kosovo will be monitoring Pristina's attitude toward minority groups in K. And there will be plenty of watchdogs, rest assured, within EU (I speak from Romania's experience, the years after the end of Communism up to get into EU).

Best of luck to everybody in Kosovo, no matter their ethnicity!

From Bucharest,
George

Kosovo won't have full independence.

Hm If someone ore somebody will feel better about this than Kosovo wont be full independent but will not be dependent from Serbia.
For a long walk you should make a first step.

This statement is nothing but propaganda designed to elicit sympathy from a world opposed to illegal, unilateral acts. Another poster called Serbs "puppets" and it was allowed on this site. The albanians are puppets of a US government trying to gain favor from oil rich arab states.

Mr. O'Donohghue is spot on is his assessment of the PISG. The reason for the political turmoil in Kosovo and the push for independence provides a smoke screen for the drug, women, and gun traffickers, Islamists, a mafioso. Thaci, Ceku, and others will ride fat and happy on the hog while the rest of the ethnic- minorities will continue to live in squalor, without education, and without basic necessities.

The political elite will continue to blame Belgrade for all the woes of Kosovo, then they will blame the remaining Serbs and their "Evil plane" (spooky) for decentralization, and then finally the Serbs remaining North of the Ibar river. This is all cover for continued illegal activities, and corruption. After the Serbs are pushed out the politicians will blame the UN and EU for not allowing full sovereignty over the province. I continue to support autonomy for the province and a return of Serb troops to protect enclaves and patrimonial sites.

The UN must end privatization, push for real returnees to the province, restore property, rebuild churches, etc.

I do not know if the Simpson's have reached the Balkans but the character Nelson would have to say to this devloping news from the ethnic-Albanian side as, "ha ha".

The Ahtisaari plan will serve as a framework towards Kosovo independence. This guy is not saying anything new here. The Kosovo Albanians already know that their independence will come with strings attached and yet, even this stunted independence is better than having Belgrade as the overlord (even if mostly symbolic).

I do not understand which part of "Autonomy under Serbia is anathema to Kosovo Albanians" the Serbian folk here and Tom O'Donahue and company do not get. This "wide autonomy" is NOT a compromise position for the Albanians; only the best deal Serbia could dream of getting. Under that arrangement, Serbia gets to have its cake and eat it to. Serbia gets to keep "its" territory and wash its hands against any responsibilities in running Kosovo in the name of that "wide autonomy."
The Kosovars will have to take care of everything, policing, administration, education and what not, and yet they'd have to turn around and call Serbia chief?

Just how dumb do the Serb politicians think the Albanians are? Have they never heard the expression NOTHING FOR NOTHING?

If Serbia wanted to compromise, at the very least it should have offered some sort of a federal arrangement. The way things are right now, however, Kosovo is gone to Serbia, string or no strings attached.

This advisor chooses an interesting time to be heard: just before the presidential elections in Serbia. He does not represent the Kosovo government, but you can be certain his comments represent the will of the international community in Kosovo (for the next few days at least), a will that prefers that Mr Tadic prevail.

We will see after your run off election. Kosova will be indipendent and will prosper. You serbes will be left to be puppets of Russia. You hasve not learned from TITO. Do not ally with Russia for it will cost you more. Soon you will find out when you will be turned into what Ukraine used to be.. LOL join th EU and than maybe you can keep Vojvodina. For now they are talking of breaking away and joining Hugary since they are now in the EU. The comments by Goran are not substantieted and the people of Kosova will settle for nothing short of indipendence

Kosovo won't have full independence.

Hm If someone ore somebody will feel better about this than Kosovo wont be full independent but will not be dependent from Serbia.
For a long walk you should make a first step.

All this said here looks like no independence at all but sort of colonization. Albanians will have no power over decision-making. President and the prime minister of Kosovo will serve just as a sidetrack. I must admit that Serbia was more generous with its offer and sooner or later Albanian will realise it. As Gorani said Kosovo is just an experiment but what he failed to say is that experiments often last very long and very often do not give positive results.

However, few days ago Czech Republic said that they won’t recognise Kosovo until Kosovo reach certain standards in legal system, human and minority rights, and so on. I believe it will take years at best if not ever, to recognise Kosovo.

“The period of supervised independence will end when Kosovo becomes a fully-fledged member of the EU, where there is no unlimited or complete sovereignty either.”

This article confirms that Kosovo's independence is a myth and will always remain so. It also confirms the rulers of the Albanians will indefinitely be NATO, a military organisation. Lets see what happens once the honeymoon is over!

There is absolutely no chance it will ever become a fully-fledged member of the EU either. More than enough members have already expressed strong opposition.

Serbia's offer of a large degree of autonomy is the best they'll ever get but by the time the Albanians realise this, it will be too late.

“You have this minority syndrome and the unwillingness to assume responsibility. They have to know that with the status of the majority population comes majority responsibility, and that the majority population assumes responsibility for everything that goes on in" SERBIA concluded Princip.
- Ironic really that these so called "advisors" dont see the contradiction in their own words when realted back to them!!!

I find this very reassuring that a Kosovo government official has come out with something other than the usual 'independence only'. It seems like he may be laying the ground for easing the population into accepting thing aren't just black and white.

Basically what they're talking about is Kosovo remaining some sort of continued protectorate with various elements of international status.

The bottom line is the danger involved in prising part of Serbia's territory away from her, in a time when there is no war and no dispute over who legally owns the province.

Personally I think that IF there is a UDI the province will immediately be partitioned, and some version of the A Plan will be introduced into the southern area.

Shame that this couldn't be sorted out by the people who actually live there - Serbs and Albanians, both of whom are now at the mercy of the international community.

just like some mature individual has put it some months ago:

"Russia will back down before the one and only global super-power" ( and we know how they backed down in the UNSC, right? )

just as that illusion floated away...

just like that, the other illusion will do the same.

"nobody cares about resolution 1244 "

UNSC 1244 seems to remain valid, indeed.

and Mr. Gorani is just trying to make it look like you have won...

just as I have told you so long ago.
bottom-line is:

it could be that in some time further in the future, you will be explained that you are still on serbian territory...

let´s see what future brings.

In the nine years free from Serbian influence, Kosovo has failed miserably to establish even the rudiments of a civic society. An economy in tatters, a legal system in shreds and a thriving criminal underworld. Could do better.

No matter what happens in the near future , Kosovo will not be in any sense independent. On the one hand there's a continuation of the present state of affairs where every feature of civic society is propped up by EU/NATO and all economic development subsidised by the same people. There is a word for this - a colony.

The alternative is very wide-ranging autonomy within Serbia with most important decisions made by the people of Kosovo themselves and an open road to the EU if that's what people want.

If the political leadership in Kosovo had any vision they would stop acting like demagogues and leading their people up the garden path. You can be sure that no matter where it all ends, Thaci & Co will look after themselves. It seems to me that the ordinary Albanians in Kosovo are being sold a pup.

Mr. O'Donohghue is spot on is his assessment of the PISG. The reason for the political turmoil in Kosovo and the push for independence provides a smoke screen for the drug, women, and gun traffickers, Islamists, a mafioso. Thaci, Ceku, and others will ride fat and happy on the hog while the rest of the ethnic- minorities will continue to live in squalor, without education, and without basic necessities.

The political elite will continue to blame Belgrade for all the woes of Kosovo, then they will blame the remaining Serbs and their "Evil plane" (spooky) for decentralization, and then finally the Serbs remaining North of the Ibar river. This is all cover for continued illegal activities, and corruption. After the Serbs are pushed out the politicians will blame the UN and EU for not allowing full sovereignty over the province. I continue to support autonomy for the province and a return of Serb troops to protect enclaves and patrimonial sites.

The UN must end privatization, push for real returnees to the province, restore property, rebuild churches, etc.

I do not know if the Simpson's have reached the Balkans but the character Nelson would have to say to this devloping news from the ethnic-Albanian side as, "ha ha".

This is very encouraring.

I really want to encourage both sides to solve this conflict in a peaceful matter, within the borders of Serbia.

Good news!

Love to all from Holland!

That's what we in Serb camp have been telling the Albainan camp all along. now you have one of your own telling you.

I am puzzled by this statement. Whom is this man addressing: Albanians or the international community? I guess this is for the international press as he avoids to become specific about anything.

If this would be for the local press it would count as an extremely incoherent talk that leaves everybody guess what he wants to communicate.

I do not agree with George and his optimism about the positive influence of the EU. Kosovo is not Romania. In 8 years a lot of peacekeepers have not been able to normalise the situation, so how would a much smaller international representation make a difference?

Mr. Gorani is right, talking about the "responsibility of majority" (by the way, more message like this are needed in Pristina, these days...)

If (and I stress, "if") Kosovo will be independent, then K/Albanians should better be fully aware about their obligations toward the other communities, regardless ethnicity, language, religion etc. It is not enough to talk about an all inclusive "country for all its citizens", especially having in mind that the same Intl. Community who may "give" independence to Kosovo will be monitoring Pristina's attitude toward minority groups in K. And there will be plenty of watchdogs, rest assured, within EU (I speak from Romania's experience, the years after the end of Communism up to get into EU).

Best of luck to everybody in Kosovo, no matter their ethnicity!

From Bucharest,
George

This is quite possibly the first mature statment to come out of the Pristina camp.

It also confirms the sobering realities of obstacles to independence on every level. Never mind that Russia will veto any UN resolution on Kosovo independence, the EU has been hinting at downgrading Kosovo's status for some time, given the firm oppostion to recognition by Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and others. The EU wants a success story, not egg on their face. In this regard, they can push for EU protectorate within an extremely loosely defined Serbian framework and get the EU unanimity they need. Plus, it also solifies Tadic's position of Serbia within the EU along with Kosovo.

The bottom line is this: status does not make life better. Standards do. With enough reports on Kosovo coming out of late that explains the paltry judiciary system, the continued presence of organized crime, and the grim news of malnourishment among certain sectors of society, efforts should be made to improve the lives of the people that live there, not worry about what to call the region.

I think Mr. Gorani finally realizes that the end result will be EU support but fall short of full and formal independence.

This statement is nothing but propaganda designed to elicit sympathy from a world opposed to illegal, unilateral acts. Another poster called Serbs "puppets" and it was allowed on this site. The albanians are puppets of a US government trying to gain favor from oil rich arab states.

This advisor chooses an interesting time to be heard: just before the presidential elections in Serbia. He does not represent the Kosovo government, but you can be certain his comments represent the will of the international community in Kosovo (for the next few days at least), a will that prefers that Mr Tadic prevail.

The Ahtisaari plan will serve as a framework towards Kosovo independence. This guy is not saying anything new here. The Kosovo Albanians already know that their independence will come with strings attached and yet, even this stunted independence is better than having Belgrade as the overlord (even if mostly symbolic).

I do not understand which part of "Autonomy under Serbia is anathema to Kosovo Albanians" the Serbian folk here and Tom O'Donahue and company do not get. This "wide autonomy" is NOT a compromise position for the Albanians; only the best deal Serbia could dream of getting. Under that arrangement, Serbia gets to have its cake and eat it to. Serbia gets to keep "its" territory and wash its hands against any responsibilities in running Kosovo in the name of that "wide autonomy."
The Kosovars will have to take care of everything, policing, administration, education and what not, and yet they'd have to turn around and call Serbia chief?

Just how dumb do the Serb politicians think the Albanians are? Have they never heard the expression NOTHING FOR NOTHING?

If Serbia wanted to compromise, at the very least it should have offered some sort of a federal arrangement. The way things are right now, however, Kosovo is gone to Serbia, string or no strings attached.