Holbrooke: U.S. policy toward Serbia won’t change

Richard Holbrook says regardless of who becomes the next U.S. president, policies towards Serbia won't change. The former U.S. envoy to the Balkans told daily Vecernje Novosti that the coming elections would be more important for the people of Serbia than the politicians, and that there would be a clear choice between Kosovo and Europe. Holbrooke: U.S. policy toward Serbia won’t change “Kosovo is lost for good, and Serbia can now lose Europe for good as well,” Holbrook said. “These are strategically important elections, because they will decide whether Serbia is moving towards Europe, and whether it will open the doors of the future for its children and grandchildren, for an effective economy, European values, or if it will be an isolated island in Europe,” the former envoy said. He stressed that the question of Kosovo’s status had ended for the U.S. with Washington’s recognition of Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. “No revisions of the U.S.’s position are possible and everyone knows that. Serbia and Kosovo will, sooner or later, have to begin cooperation, firstly economically, because that is a natural thing, and it’s only a question of time when things will return to normal,” Holbrook predicted. Asked whether partition of Kosovo would be a good solution, the former envoy said that the “Ibar is the most explosive point in Europe” and that America expected problems in north Kosovo “especially after we realized that Russia would not lead a moderate policy regarding Kosovo.” Commenting on the recent clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica between Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK, he said that he was against the use of force, and that there must be dialogue with all relevant Kosovo Serb political leaders in order to solve disagreements in a peaceful way, “respecting two principles: the maximum protection of the Serbs in Kosovo, and Kosovo’s unalterable borders.” Regarding the EU mission to Kosovo, Holbrook said that it should not be rushed into, and that an agreement must be reached with the Kosovo Serbs before the mission was deployed. “It is important for the Serbs to stay in Kosovo, just as it is important for EULEX to be present throughout Kosovo, and even if more time is needed for that, there should be no lack of patience,” the former envoy counseled. Asked whether the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence would have an effect on Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said that the Republic of Srpska was a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and that “the Dayton Accords clearly state that it has no right to secession.” “So long as Dodik sticks to them (the Dayton Accords), there will be no problems for Bosnia-Herzegovina, or the Republic of Srpska, though I would like the word ‘Republic’ to be erased, ‘Srpska’ is enough,” Holbrook pointed out. The former envoy added that the U.S. had never “been in conflict with the Serbian people, but we were with the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, whose first victims were the Serbs themselves.” Richard Holbrooke (FoNet archive)

Holbrooke: U.S. policy toward Serbia won’t change

“Kosovo is lost for good, and Serbia can now lose Europe for good as well,” Holbrook said.

“These are strategically important elections, because they will decide whether Serbia is moving towards Europe, and whether it will open the doors of the future for its children and grandchildren, for an effective economy, European values, or if it will be an isolated island in Europe,” the former envoy said.

He stressed that the question of Kosovo’s status had ended for the U.S. with Washington’s recognition of Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.

“No revisions of the U.S.’s position are possible and everyone knows that. Serbia and Kosovo will, sooner or later, have to begin cooperation, firstly economically, because that is a natural thing, and it’s only a question of time when things will return to normal,” Holbrook predicted.

Asked whether partition of Kosovo would be a good solution, the former envoy said that the “Ibar is the most explosive point in Europe” and that America expected problems in north Kosovo “especially after we realized that Russia would not lead a moderate policy regarding Kosovo.”

Commenting on the recent clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica between Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK, he said that he was against the use of force, and that there must be dialogue with all relevant Kosovo Serb political leaders in order to solve disagreements in a peaceful way, “respecting two principles: the maximum protection of the Serbs in Kosovo, and Kosovo’s unalterable borders.”

Regarding the EU mission to Kosovo, Holbrook said that it should not be rushed into, and that an agreement must be reached with the Kosovo Serbs before the mission was deployed.

“It is important for the Serbs to stay in Kosovo, just as it is important for EULEX to be present throughout Kosovo, and even if more time is needed for that, there should be no lack of patience,” the former envoy counseled.

Asked whether the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence would have an effect on Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said that the Republic of Srpska was a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and that “the Dayton Accords clearly state that it has no right to secession.”

“So long as Dodik sticks to them (the Dayton Accords), there will be no problems for Bosnia-Herzegovina, or the Republic of Srpska, though I would like the word ‘Republic’ to be erased, ‘Srpska’ is enough,” Holbrook pointed out.

The former envoy added that the U.S. had never “been in conflict with the Serbian people, but we were with the regime of Slobodan Milošević, whose first victims were the Serbs themselves.”