Blair: We did well in Kosovo

Blair: We did well in Kosovo

“I agree there’s a lot more to be done in Kosovo and in other parts of the region, but I have to voice my deep conviction that the international intervention in Kosovo was necessary and appropriate”, the BBC quoted Blair as saying.

Ashdown advocates for an independent Kosovo

Former chief international envoy to Bosnia Paddy Ashdown said that Bosnia and Macedonia were the most vulnerable parts of the region when it comes to possible repercussions of the Kosovo status settlement.

Despite their vulnerability, Ashdown sees an independent Kosovo as the only possible outcome of the mediating process.

“The essence of the problem as I see it, though I find it hard to confess, is that Belgrade had lost the moral right to administer Kosovo when only 5 percent of the population residing in the province is Serb. We also have to bear in mind that Serbia forced ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo in 1999”, the BBC quoted him as saying.

“People have to face history. Thus Belgrade needs to take hold of reality and admit it had lost its moral right to claim administration over Kosovo. The international community must help and facilitate the Kosovo settlement process”, Ashdown concluded.