“Kosovo will be problem for some time to come”

Erhard Busek believes that Kosovo will remain a problem for quite some time. The coordinator of the Stability Pact for South-East Europe said that the biggest problem in the Balkans, however, would be the integration of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “Kosovo will be problem for some time to come” He told Vienna daily Wiener Zeitung that Serbia had also become a cause for concern. “I do not believe that the Kosovo situation will be resolved soon. Whoever holds the battle of Kosovo in their memory for 600 years has a great capacity to remember other things as well,” Busek said. He said that the most difficult question in the region was Bosnia-Herzegovina, however. “That is a country that people are leaving, which has hardly made any economic progress, and where there is no united identity. We see great long-term problems there in terms of European integration also,” Busek said. The Austrian diplomat said that all Balkan countries should receive EU candidate status, adding that it would take some of the countries three years to join, and others up to 20. As far as Serbia was concerned, Busek said that the EU should abolish visas for the entire region in order to overcome Serbia’s current crisis on the European path. “Young people must have the opportunity to see what the rest of Europe looks like. The more young people from Serbia see that the historical views of a certain Vojislav Kostunica can achieve nothing, the stronger civil society will be, and the faster policies will change. A gap is currently developing between the political classes and regular citizens. Many Serbs have given up on Kosovo, even though it’s painful,” Busek said. . He said that Kosovo’s development and progress depended on its status. “Without legal order and secure investments, there is no economic progress. This could improve with the status solution,” the Austrian diplomat ventured. He also said that he was in favor of the EU mission taking over from UNMIK in Kosovo. “As far as corruption and crime is concerned, UNMIK is a part of that. International law is not an absolute law. It is always a result of political relations and power,” Busek concluded. Erhard Busek (FoNet archive)

“Kosovo will be problem for some time to come”

He told Vienna daily Wiener Zeitung that Serbia had also become a cause for concern.

“I do not believe that the Kosovo situation will be resolved soon. Whoever holds the battle of Kosovo in their memory for 600 years has a great capacity to remember other things as well,” Busek said.

He said that the most difficult question in the region was Bosnia-Herzegovina, however.

“That is a country that people are leaving, which has hardly made any economic progress, and where there is no united identity. We see great long-term problems there in terms of European integration also,” Busek said.

The Austrian diplomat said that all Balkan countries should receive EU candidate status, adding that it would take some of the countries three years to join, and others up to 20.

As far as Serbia was concerned, Busek said that the EU should abolish visas for the entire region in order to overcome Serbia’s current crisis on the European path.

“Young people must have the opportunity to see what the rest of Europe looks like. The more young people from Serbia see that the historical views of a certain Vojislav Koštunica can achieve nothing, the stronger civil society will be, and the faster policies will change. A gap is currently developing between the political classes and regular citizens. Many Serbs have given up on Kosovo, even though it’s painful,” Busek said. .

He said that Kosovo’s development and progress depended on its status.

“Without legal order and secure investments, there is no economic progress. This could improve with the status solution,” the Austrian diplomat ventured.

He also said that he was in favor of the EU mission taking over from UNMIK in Kosovo.

“As far as corruption and crime is concerned, UNMIK is a part of that. International law is not an absolute law. It is always a result of political relations and power,” Busek concluded.