EU official on Kosovo partition

I'm glad that even the EU has realised status is not resolved and that further negotiations are needed. We can live with a functional partition but not a formal one. The latter opens a can of worms.

If the EU?US didn't try and muscle the independence of an Albanian Kosovo in the first place, and conducted honest, non-biased status talks, Kosovo would not be in the mess it is in now. Why can't these internationals put the lives of the citizens that live in Kosovo first, and not their geo-political agendas, that more times than not, go awry? Regarding partition, what other solution is there? Serbs want nothing to do with Albanians, and vise-versa. Good work EU/US, you have stepped into another civil conflict, and created a war.

If the status issue was closed, the EU representative would have said something like, "Independence is a done deal, so stop this nonsense about negotiations and partition!" However, his statements make plain to everyone that he does not believe Kosovo's status is a done deal. Looks like a round of honest negotiations will be starting soon, not the sham negotiations that took place several years ago.

Dear Christian Andersen,
what is more frustrating is someone endorsing an independence which can be neither supported nor sustained.

But what is ultimately frustrating is people like you who dont seem to take seriously not even their own words.

JohnC,

"The West never gave in Serbia's attempt to cut certain areas into pieces. "

So then why the West is cutting Serbia into pieces?

Double standards?

Considering that almost all signs are leading towards a partition at the Ibar, I really have to wonder why international forces are keeping up the charade of "no partition because that would set a bad precedent". Surely the easiest, though not the smartest, thing to do would be draw a line at the Ibar.

However, if the international community (and this really means Washington, London, Berlin, and Moscow) are that steadfast against partitioning Kosovo, the only other logical step would be to keep Kosovo as one territorial entity but cantonize it between Serb and Albanian sectors like Bosnia. The international community can keep up the illusion that Kosovo is a separate state, and Belgrade can enjoy all the benefits and privileges the north and Gracanica will bring as another RS.

It's either partition or cantonize. Either bears little to no effect on Pristina, nor the lives or ordinary K-Albanians. Serbs get to keep what they can still hold on to, while Albanians claim victory in securing definitive guarantees Belgrade has nothing to do with them again.

Serbia looking to create troubles again in Balkans.
Kosova has no need to exchange territories. The Preseva valley(the labanian populated areas)are not Serbian or theyare Serbian for not very long. While in the north of Kosovo, those 2000 supported by Serbia will not last foreever, local Serb population will drive them our eventially.

Partition can be ruled out. The West never gave in Serbia's attempt to cut certain areas into pieces. In North Kosovo we are anyway dealing with a few tenthousand people. They can be borught into line, it will just take some time and deeds, but it is possible. Once the border check points work fully, the North Kosovo is cut from Serbia. Once fuel, food and other commodities get espensive, Serbs in the North will get back to their senses, using no weapons at all, except for self defence of the official in case somebody tries to throw grenades or shot. Be patient and watch.

How frustrating it must be to call for new negociations 7d/7, 24h/24....while no one listen to you....

I'm glad that even the EU has realised status is not resolved and that further negotiations are needed. We can live with a functional partition but not a formal one. The latter opens a can of worms.
(Zoran, 12 July 2010 11:50)
The functional partition is that of Kosovo not Serbia, which could be a sustainable solution. Kosovo is free from barriers to the privileges of statehood and Serbia gets to save face.

Mike,

Let's keep it simple. Serbia to recognise Kosovo independence. Same rights for Serbs living in northern Mitrovica to those of Albanians living in Presevo, Bujanovc and Medvegja. Mutual agreement between Kosovo and Serbia for free movement of goods and people. Not a rocket science!

The Albanians want Serbia to recognise an independent Kosovo then sign agreements for free movement of trade and people (this means Albos from Kosovo seeking work in Serbia) and everything is then OK. Once again Serbia should prop up the Albanians – well I say to hell with that idea; they want to be free then let the EU/US subsidise them.

The cracks are starting to appear. Firstly, the US National Defence University, Steven Meyer, making statements about Kosovo – this is not some crackpot opening his mouth because he is bored. That’s how ideas are floated in government.

Now we have “officially portioning is not on EU agenda” and then comes other famous word BUT.

Serbs only have to have a little more patience and it will work out for them. You have to realise that the entire UN can recognise Kosovo, but if Serbia does not then nothing happens – they are dead in the waters as we have living proof to this day.

The real question is this - partitioning what from what?

http://www.transconflict.com/2009/12/kosovo-partitioning-what-from-what/

(Mike, 12 July 2010 17:53)
The answer to your question is very very simple.
Inorder to sell this to the Serbian people as a win, it must appear as a Serbian idea, and Jeremic and co. must have forced the international community into a corner where they had no other choice.
If it becomes someone elses goal, there would be no way to get Serbian support.
However, in the end it will only apply to the north, the communities south of the river will have to make do with the Ahtissari Plan.

"However, in the end it will only apply to the north, the communities south of the river will have to make do with the Ahtissari Plan." (pss)

-- Well that really depends on what Belgrade is willing to negotiate on, how far they're willing to go, and how much the international community is willing to bargain. They can take the north and leave the rest. Who knows, they might even throw in Presevo at this point just to hold on to the north; an overpay but that’s their red line. Or they can claim stuff south of the Ibar, but probably at the expense of outright partition. Gracanica's just as much off Pristina's grid as KM, but considering where it is, and what's surrounding it, Belgrade's going to have to be a bit more creative beyond partition, and they may have to sacrifice outright control of the north in order to save the rest.

Either way, they've got the north and they're not letting that go. What they do with the rest (Gracanica, Strpce, etc) is still unknown. I suspect they may just abandon everything south. But if they're smart about it (and I don't give them that much credit), they'll push for cantonization of the Serb parts. Even if they're forced to keep everything in Kosovo, they'll at the very least push for EULEX jointly administering the Serb parts completely separate from Pristina - hence bi-zonal confederation.

"Let's keep it simple. Serbia to recognise Kosovo independence." (EA)

-- Oh, if it were only that simple, but you know Serbs are anything but simple. However, if we're talking about Serbia recognizing a Kosovo under different status conditions and different administrative conditions (see above), there might be some potential. But certainly not under current conditions.

Partition can be ruled out. The West never gave in Serbia's attempt to cut certain areas into pieces. In North Kosovo we are anyway dealing with a few tenthousand people. They can be borught into line, it will just take some time and deeds, but it is possible. Once the border check points work fully, the North Kosovo is cut from Serbia. Once fuel, food and other commodities get espensive, Serbs in the North will get back to their senses, using no weapons at all, except for self defence of the official in case somebody tries to throw grenades or shot. Be patient and watch.

Serbia looking to create troubles again in Balkans.
Kosova has no need to exchange territories. The Preseva valley(the labanian populated areas)are not Serbian or theyare Serbian for not very long. While in the north of Kosovo, those 2000 supported by Serbia will not last foreever, local Serb population will drive them our eventially.

How frustrating it must be to call for new negociations 7d/7, 24h/24....while no one listen to you....

I'm glad that even the EU has realised status is not resolved and that further negotiations are needed. We can live with a functional partition but not a formal one. The latter opens a can of worms.

I'm glad that even the EU has realised status is not resolved and that further negotiations are needed. We can live with a functional partition but not a formal one. The latter opens a can of worms.
(Zoran, 12 July 2010 11:50)
The functional partition is that of Kosovo not Serbia, which could be a sustainable solution. Kosovo is free from barriers to the privileges of statehood and Serbia gets to save face.

If the status issue was closed, the EU representative would have said something like, "Independence is a done deal, so stop this nonsense about negotiations and partition!" However, his statements make plain to everyone that he does not believe Kosovo's status is a done deal. Looks like a round of honest negotiations will be starting soon, not the sham negotiations that took place several years ago.

Mike,

Let's keep it simple. Serbia to recognise Kosovo independence. Same rights for Serbs living in northern Mitrovica to those of Albanians living in Presevo, Bujanovc and Medvegja. Mutual agreement between Kosovo and Serbia for free movement of goods and people. Not a rocket science!

If the EU?US didn't try and muscle the independence of an Albanian Kosovo in the first place, and conducted honest, non-biased status talks, Kosovo would not be in the mess it is in now. Why can't these internationals put the lives of the citizens that live in Kosovo first, and not their geo-political agendas, that more times than not, go awry? Regarding partition, what other solution is there? Serbs want nothing to do with Albanians, and vise-versa. Good work EU/US, you have stepped into another civil conflict, and created a war.

Dear Christian Andersen,
what is more frustrating is someone endorsing an independence which can be neither supported nor sustained.

But what is ultimately frustrating is people like you who dont seem to take seriously not even their own words.

JohnC,

"The West never gave in Serbia's attempt to cut certain areas into pieces. "

So then why the West is cutting Serbia into pieces?

Double standards?

The real question is this - partitioning what from what?

http://www.transconflict.com/2009/12/kosovo-partitioning-what-from-what/

Considering that almost all signs are leading towards a partition at the Ibar, I really have to wonder why international forces are keeping up the charade of "no partition because that would set a bad precedent". Surely the easiest, though not the smartest, thing to do would be draw a line at the Ibar.

However, if the international community (and this really means Washington, London, Berlin, and Moscow) are that steadfast against partitioning Kosovo, the only other logical step would be to keep Kosovo as one territorial entity but cantonize it between Serb and Albanian sectors like Bosnia. The international community can keep up the illusion that Kosovo is a separate state, and Belgrade can enjoy all the benefits and privileges the north and Gracanica will bring as another RS.

It's either partition or cantonize. Either bears little to no effect on Pristina, nor the lives or ordinary K-Albanians. Serbs get to keep what they can still hold on to, while Albanians claim victory in securing definitive guarantees Belgrade has nothing to do with them again.

(Mike, 12 July 2010 17:53)
The answer to your question is very very simple.
Inorder to sell this to the Serbian people as a win, it must appear as a Serbian idea, and Jeremic and co. must have forced the international community into a corner where they had no other choice.
If it becomes someone elses goal, there would be no way to get Serbian support.
However, in the end it will only apply to the north, the communities south of the river will have to make do with the Ahtissari Plan.

The Albanians want Serbia to recognise an independent Kosovo then sign agreements for free movement of trade and people (this means Albos from Kosovo seeking work in Serbia) and everything is then OK. Once again Serbia should prop up the Albanians – well I say to hell with that idea; they want to be free then let the EU/US subsidise them.

The cracks are starting to appear. Firstly, the US National Defence University, Steven Meyer, making statements about Kosovo – this is not some crackpot opening his mouth because he is bored. That’s how ideas are floated in government.

Now we have “officially portioning is not on EU agenda” and then comes other famous word BUT.

Serbs only have to have a little more patience and it will work out for them. You have to realise that the entire UN can recognise Kosovo, but if Serbia does not then nothing happens – they are dead in the waters as we have living proof to this day.

"However, in the end it will only apply to the north, the communities south of the river will have to make do with the Ahtissari Plan." (pss)

-- Well that really depends on what Belgrade is willing to negotiate on, how far they're willing to go, and how much the international community is willing to bargain. They can take the north and leave the rest. Who knows, they might even throw in Presevo at this point just to hold on to the north; an overpay but that’s their red line. Or they can claim stuff south of the Ibar, but probably at the expense of outright partition. Gracanica's just as much off Pristina's grid as KM, but considering where it is, and what's surrounding it, Belgrade's going to have to be a bit more creative beyond partition, and they may have to sacrifice outright control of the north in order to save the rest.

Either way, they've got the north and they're not letting that go. What they do with the rest (Gracanica, Strpce, etc) is still unknown. I suspect they may just abandon everything south. But if they're smart about it (and I don't give them that much credit), they'll push for cantonization of the Serb parts. Even if they're forced to keep everything in Kosovo, they'll at the very least push for EULEX jointly administering the Serb parts completely separate from Pristina - hence bi-zonal confederation.

"Let's keep it simple. Serbia to recognise Kosovo independence." (EA)

-- Oh, if it were only that simple, but you know Serbs are anything but simple. However, if we're talking about Serbia recognizing a Kosovo under different status conditions and different administrative conditions (see above), there might be some potential. But certainly not under current conditions.