ICG: Put Kosovo on Belgrade-Brussels agenda

The International Crisis Group (ICG) released a report on the current situation in Kosovo. The document, entitled “Kosovo’s Fragile Transition,” also says that the EU should complete the deployment of its EULEX mission in Kosovo by the end of the year and use its influence over Belgrade, which wants to become an EU member, to develop a more pragmatic approach to the new status of Kosovo. ICG: Put Kosovo on Belgrade-Brussels agenda The EU should use candidacy talks with Belgrade to ensure deployment of its mission throughout Kosovo, the report states, adding that “EULEX must deploy by December 1 when all sides must agree on transitional arrangements, to be reviewed by early 2010”. The report also said that the international community did not manage the situation well since February 17. “ Independence was supposed to be ‘supervised,’ based on the plan drafted by the UN Secretary-General’s special representative, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari,” ICG stated. The report adds that “supporters have not kept their pledges because of Serbian and Russian opposition, insufficient political will and weak coordination.” The NGO also recommends that EU member states to confirm their dedication to the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan Kosovo proposals, and that they should insist to have Kosovo in the agenda when they talks to Serbia after the signing of the SAA. “Major violence has been avoided but the calm is deceptive”, says Alexander Anderson, ICG’s Kosovo Project Director. “Divisions between Albanian and Serb areas have widened. If de facto partition continues, Kosovo’s Serbs south of the Ibar River will be at risk, pressure will mount to redraw borders on ethnic lines throughout the states of the former Yugoslavia, and EU membership prospects for these countries will fade,” he believes. The United Nations should insist on talks with Serbia for the reconfiguration of UNMIK and have EU officials participate in the talks as well, ICG stated. The report also states that the Serbian government and Kosovo Serbs should reach an agreement with EU officials on the full operationalization of the two mission and make sure that the Kosovo Serbs accept them, as well as the transitional arrangements and regulations for decentralization proposed by Ahtisaari as being status neutral. The document adds that Belgrade should secure the Kosovo Serbs’ cooperation with Pristina, for their benefit. As far as NATO is concerned, ICG states that it should finish its four technical arrangements for KFOR and EULEX cooperation and offer strong support for the EU mission, “especially in its operations north of the Ibar River”.

ICG: Put Kosovo on Belgrade-Brussels agenda

The EU should use candidacy talks with Belgrade to ensure deployment of its mission throughout Kosovo, the report states, adding that “EULEX must deploy by December 1 when all sides must agree on transitional arrangements, to be reviewed by early 2010”.

The report also said that the international community did not manage the situation well since February 17.

“ Independence was supposed to be ‘supervised,’ based on the plan drafted by the UN Secretary-General’s special representative, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari,” ICG stated.

The report adds that “supporters have not kept their pledges because of Serbian and Russian opposition, insufficient political will and weak coordination.”

The NGO also recommends that EU member states to confirm their dedication to the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan Kosovo proposals, and that they should insist to have Kosovo in the agenda when they talks to Serbia after the signing of the SAA.

“Major violence has been avoided but the calm is deceptive”, says Alexander Anderson, ICG’s Kosovo Project Director.

“Divisions between Albanian and Serb areas have widened. If de facto partition continues, Kosovo’s Serbs south of the Ibar River will be at risk, pressure will mount to redraw borders on ethnic lines throughout the states of the former Yugoslavia, and EU membership prospects for these countries will fade,” he believes.

The United Nations should insist on talks with Serbia for the reconfiguration of UNMIK and have EU officials participate in the talks as well, ICG stated.

The report also states that the Serbian government and Kosovo Serbs should reach an agreement with EU officials on the full operationalization of the two mission and make sure that the Kosovo Serbs accept them, as well as the transitional arrangements and regulations for decentralization proposed by Ahtisaari as being status neutral.

The document adds that Belgrade should secure the Kosovo Serbs’ cooperation with Priština, for their benefit.

As far as NATO is concerned, ICG states that it should finish its four technical arrangements for KFOR and EULEX cooperation and offer strong support for the EU mission, “especially in its operations north of the Ibar River”.