Economist: EU runs into roadblocks in Kosovo

There has been much discussion in this forum about how many countries have recognised (or have not recognised) Kosovo as and independent state. It's roughly 40 as we speak and a lot has been made on both sides about the numbers but the number is largely irrelevant. Assume that Kosovo gets 100 countries to recognise it by September - SO what? A lot of the Albanians here keep saying Kosovo is independent, live with it. Whatever they say, or however many countries decide to recognise Kosovo is, as i said, irrelevant. Serbia simply won't allow Kosovo to become independent along it's current "borders". The UNSC will block accession to the UN, so Kosovo will remain legally attached to Serbia, no matter what the Albanians, the Americans or the EU states declare. As long as that is the situation there will be little investment in Kosovo. certain governments might want to invest but if you read the most recent articles, they all talk about the urgency in getting Kosovo's energy industry moving and investing in that - i.e. the Trepca mines. If the EU and USA think they can roll over the Serbs in the north to gain complete control of Kosovo without triggering a war they are sadly mistaken, and as they already know this, the situation in Kosovo has reached a stalemate. Serbia does not control Kosovo, but the Albanians don't either. Everyone loses out. Kosovo will become another Abkhazia whether the Albanians like it or not and this lack of a defined status is what will prevent either Serbia and a potential independent Kosovo becoming members of the EU.

"Thier plan has been derailed"

- when did they even have a thought it would succeed???

The EU default was to create a partition and it was no coincidence last summer that a Dutch EUcrat was hoisted the non-job of head of INLEX (Lawless) Kosovo mission - the Dutch were last summer and still remain the most adrent supporters for a partition (EU face saving) solution within the highly divided EU!!!

It proves that emperor George W. Bush and his armies from the EU / UK have failed to misled the bigger nations such as russia, china, brazil, argentina, India, algeria,Egypt, Greece and many others. it proves also that most nations still believes in the UN and never will be cowed by the few.

PB

Of course you are right! Kosovo will and is becoming a 'frozen state' where the UN will govern it without both Kosovo Albanians and Serbia agree a final status!!

Bush and his EU lapdogs have failed miserablly in trying to IMPOSE their idea of what should be in the region!!! In the end international law will prevail and a final status will have to negociated. Bush failed in Iraq and is failing in Kosovo!! Well done to the countries that have stood up to these international law breakers and said no to the illeagal partition of a soverign state!!

No, I'm not a pro Serbian, I believe that Kosovo Albians have the moral high ground, but I also believe in international law and the sanctity of the UN.

If independent Kosovo does become a reality then what of the UN, the helsinki final act and the other international law protectors????? The UDI of Kososvo is a blatent breach of international law that Bush and the EU countries that have recognised Kosovo should be in front of the courts!!!

i'm a democrat that believes in the law and no matter what happened to Kosovo Albainans in the recent past (they are no angels by the way!!!) they have broke the law and Serbia this time has the high ground!!

don´t worry Adrian!

Serbia has all the right and means to stop the EU from annexing serbian land.

and those in the EU who are in the relevant positions, should be VERY cautious, since Serbia can defend it´s territory with all means necessary, even with foreign help.

international law is worth its weight in gold!

ps: good to see someone in Britain realizing that Feith is only a tourist. nothing more...

@ Peter B.

I like your way of thinking, you're very objective, you focus on the facts, and not on what you would like to believe. I just wish there were more people like you.

Those roadblocks are very soon going to turn into brick walls for the EU hypocrites and thieves.

I can only smile...

the Albanians got the "moral high ground"...

had a few beers too much?

as far as we can see it, the Albanians ( again, let me say it clear, not all Albanians ) have violated not only international law and socalled western civilizational values but are also degrading themselves as the US´bootlickers...

and Peter B. has the nerve to write about moral high grounds...

great!

The unexpected strong new actor in all these problems is Putin’s Russia.

Nobody in Europe and many in America never thought that Moscow would support Serbia so staunchly as it happened.

The “Old Europe” (mainly Germany and France) is in a Catch-22 situation where they want an independent Kosovo and a stable Balkans, but don’t want bad relation with Russia, which has a large and booming market of consumers at one side and suplies most of the gas to these countries at the other.

Nowadays, the only three countries that are supporting completely Kosovo are the United States, UK and Albania. All the others are agianst ore more or less reluctant to go against Russia trough going against Serbia.

Once again, geopolitics and economic pressures are making easy processes difficult.

adrian, timisoara, romania - I realise that the situation could definitely escalate and one way that it could, would be if the EU tried to bring Kosovo into the EU rapidly. But it would still have a couple of problems. The first being that the EU constitution only allows countries to enter the EU which are ALSO UN member states. Kosovo obviously isn't. OK, so the EU could change it's constitution to accomodate Kosovo, but the bigger problem would be that Kosovo would still be subject to UN control, not the EU as it's currently run by UNMIK. The EU cannot kick out UNMIK from Kosovo and if they decided that the UN is no longer in charge (i.e. by rescinding UNSCR 1244) then Serbia would by default be legally entitled to move it's troops and police back into Kosovo. It would be very embarrassing for the U and UE to try to prevent Serbia from doing this in that scenario.

So, like I said, it's stalemate even with all the buff and bluster coming from Feith.

All the EU states and the US are UN memebers and UN law supercedes EVERYTHING, so whatever happens, Kosovo's status will be determined via the UN and not by the EU.

"Kosovo will become another Abkhazia whether the Albanians like it or not and this lack of a defined status is what will prevent either Serbia and a potential independent Kosovo"

PB, i still think that Serbia will have the bigger problem there, since the EU will try to integrate Kosovo de facto in the EU.

Hi Jovan

Let me make it clear I am not pro Albanian, but there is absolutley no doubt that Serbia was responsible for some terrible crimes in the 90's against innocent Albanians!! If you read my piece properly and carefully I also said that through the actions of the Albanians with support from US/EU they have now lost that high ground and its gone to Serbia.

Jovan, its you and your denial that prove to me that Serbia still has a long way to go to accepting they were responsible to some of the most hideous war crimes in Europe since the second world war!!!!

If you would stop and read what I actually said I am on Serbia's side when it comes to their southern province.

Peter B

Jovan, my friend (hope its ok to call yoy that!!)

On this I'm on the Serbian side. Their country has been violated and there is no justification for that!! Hoever, do you not admit that they were gulity of some hideous crimes in the 90's?? If not then you're in denial!

My father is a Serb from Bajina Basta. My mother is Albanian from pristina so I have split loyalties. Thats why I try and be objective but if you can't accept that then there is nothing I can say to make you see my reasoning.

I really hope Serbia does get Kosovo back but I fear this going on for years and Kosovo sinking into more poverty, crime and degredation.

Thanks for listening.

Peter B

Peter B, you wrote: "I believe that Kosovo Albians have the moral high ground,"

so, tell me whether I cannot read or you don´t know what you´re writing about, actually.

now, I will make something clear to you, my dear.

it´s me and many other Serbs, who will show you that we will never give up serbian land. ( and certainly not to the Albanians )

not only because those who are lying about their ancestry, about "their"(!) "kosova" while even the toponomy clearly shows what is truth and reality...

not only because those who have always throughout written history sided with foreign aggressors and occupiers ( they even converted into their occupiers religion, what says a lot about them ) to kill and suppress their neighbours and hosts do not deserve it,

no, because we have always fought on the right side, for liberty, truth and the law. as far as I must tell you about those alleged crimes you are writing of, you are just far off the way...

in every armed conflict there are incidents, killings etc. but what you are referring to is just simple propaganda, and unfortunately it´s you who is not capable of realizing it.

western media spin is quite successful with poeple who have unlearned to use their gray matter long ago...


as a start you should watch that movie Princip has posted here a few hours ago...

there you will see what and who the Albanians were in history, and what it is about their "moral high ground"...

so please, I am honest with you: I am no fan of the Albanians, that is true. but don´t write such a nonsense about me, I mean that layman-psychological stuff...it´s just annoying.
if you are an Albanian, then say it openly and do not hide like a coward.
if you´re not, please inform yourself a lot better instead of boring ( at least me ) to death...

It proves that emperor George W. Bush and his armies from the EU / UK have failed to misled the bigger nations such as russia, china, brazil, argentina, India, algeria,Egypt, Greece and many others. it proves also that most nations still believes in the UN and never will be cowed by the few.

"Kosovo will become another Abkhazia whether the Albanians like it or not and this lack of a defined status is what will prevent either Serbia and a potential independent Kosovo"

PB, i still think that Serbia will have the bigger problem there, since the EU will try to integrate Kosovo de facto in the EU.

Those roadblocks are very soon going to turn into brick walls for the EU hypocrites and thieves.

There has been much discussion in this forum about how many countries have recognised (or have not recognised) Kosovo as and independent state. It's roughly 40 as we speak and a lot has been made on both sides about the numbers but the number is largely irrelevant. Assume that Kosovo gets 100 countries to recognise it by September - SO what? A lot of the Albanians here keep saying Kosovo is independent, live with it. Whatever they say, or however many countries decide to recognise Kosovo is, as i said, irrelevant. Serbia simply won't allow Kosovo to become independent along it's current "borders". The UNSC will block accession to the UN, so Kosovo will remain legally attached to Serbia, no matter what the Albanians, the Americans or the EU states declare. As long as that is the situation there will be little investment in Kosovo. certain governments might want to invest but if you read the most recent articles, they all talk about the urgency in getting Kosovo's energy industry moving and investing in that - i.e. the Trepca mines. If the EU and USA think they can roll over the Serbs in the north to gain complete control of Kosovo without triggering a war they are sadly mistaken, and as they already know this, the situation in Kosovo has reached a stalemate. Serbia does not control Kosovo, but the Albanians don't either. Everyone loses out. Kosovo will become another Abkhazia whether the Albanians like it or not and this lack of a defined status is what will prevent either Serbia and a potential independent Kosovo becoming members of the EU.

"Thier plan has been derailed"

- when did they even have a thought it would succeed???

The EU default was to create a partition and it was no coincidence last summer that a Dutch EUcrat was hoisted the non-job of head of INLEX (Lawless) Kosovo mission - the Dutch were last summer and still remain the most adrent supporters for a partition (EU face saving) solution within the highly divided EU!!!

PB

Of course you are right! Kosovo will and is becoming a 'frozen state' where the UN will govern it without both Kosovo Albanians and Serbia agree a final status!!

Bush and his EU lapdogs have failed miserablly in trying to IMPOSE their idea of what should be in the region!!! In the end international law will prevail and a final status will have to negociated. Bush failed in Iraq and is failing in Kosovo!! Well done to the countries that have stood up to these international law breakers and said no to the illeagal partition of a soverign state!!

No, I'm not a pro Serbian, I believe that Kosovo Albians have the moral high ground, but I also believe in international law and the sanctity of the UN.

If independent Kosovo does become a reality then what of the UN, the helsinki final act and the other international law protectors????? The UDI of Kososvo is a blatent breach of international law that Bush and the EU countries that have recognised Kosovo should be in front of the courts!!!

i'm a democrat that believes in the law and no matter what happened to Kosovo Albainans in the recent past (they are no angels by the way!!!) they have broke the law and Serbia this time has the high ground!!

don´t worry Adrian!

Serbia has all the right and means to stop the EU from annexing serbian land.

and those in the EU who are in the relevant positions, should be VERY cautious, since Serbia can defend it´s territory with all means necessary, even with foreign help.

international law is worth its weight in gold!

ps: good to see someone in Britain realizing that Feith is only a tourist. nothing more...

@ Peter B.

I like your way of thinking, you're very objective, you focus on the facts, and not on what you would like to believe. I just wish there were more people like you.

I can only smile...

the Albanians got the "moral high ground"...

had a few beers too much?

as far as we can see it, the Albanians ( again, let me say it clear, not all Albanians ) have violated not only international law and socalled western civilizational values but are also degrading themselves as the US´bootlickers...

and Peter B. has the nerve to write about moral high grounds...

great!

adrian, timisoara, romania - I realise that the situation could definitely escalate and one way that it could, would be if the EU tried to bring Kosovo into the EU rapidly. But it would still have a couple of problems. The first being that the EU constitution only allows countries to enter the EU which are ALSO UN member states. Kosovo obviously isn't. OK, so the EU could change it's constitution to accomodate Kosovo, but the bigger problem would be that Kosovo would still be subject to UN control, not the EU as it's currently run by UNMIK. The EU cannot kick out UNMIK from Kosovo and if they decided that the UN is no longer in charge (i.e. by rescinding UNSCR 1244) then Serbia would by default be legally entitled to move it's troops and police back into Kosovo. It would be very embarrassing for the U and UE to try to prevent Serbia from doing this in that scenario.

So, like I said, it's stalemate even with all the buff and bluster coming from Feith.

All the EU states and the US are UN memebers and UN law supercedes EVERYTHING, so whatever happens, Kosovo's status will be determined via the UN and not by the EU.

The unexpected strong new actor in all these problems is Putin’s Russia.

Nobody in Europe and many in America never thought that Moscow would support Serbia so staunchly as it happened.

The “Old Europe” (mainly Germany and France) is in a Catch-22 situation where they want an independent Kosovo and a stable Balkans, but don’t want bad relation with Russia, which has a large and booming market of consumers at one side and suplies most of the gas to these countries at the other.

Nowadays, the only three countries that are supporting completely Kosovo are the United States, UK and Albania. All the others are agianst ore more or less reluctant to go against Russia trough going against Serbia.

Once again, geopolitics and economic pressures are making easy processes difficult.

Hi Jovan

Let me make it clear I am not pro Albanian, but there is absolutley no doubt that Serbia was responsible for some terrible crimes in the 90's against innocent Albanians!! If you read my piece properly and carefully I also said that through the actions of the Albanians with support from US/EU they have now lost that high ground and its gone to Serbia.

Jovan, its you and your denial that prove to me that Serbia still has a long way to go to accepting they were responsible to some of the most hideous war crimes in Europe since the second world war!!!!

If you would stop and read what I actually said I am on Serbia's side when it comes to their southern province.

Peter B

Peter B, you wrote: "I believe that Kosovo Albians have the moral high ground,"

so, tell me whether I cannot read or you don´t know what you´re writing about, actually.

now, I will make something clear to you, my dear.

it´s me and many other Serbs, who will show you that we will never give up serbian land. ( and certainly not to the Albanians )

not only because those who are lying about their ancestry, about "their"(!) "kosova" while even the toponomy clearly shows what is truth and reality...

not only because those who have always throughout written history sided with foreign aggressors and occupiers ( they even converted into their occupiers religion, what says a lot about them ) to kill and suppress their neighbours and hosts do not deserve it,

no, because we have always fought on the right side, for liberty, truth and the law. as far as I must tell you about those alleged crimes you are writing of, you are just far off the way...

in every armed conflict there are incidents, killings etc. but what you are referring to is just simple propaganda, and unfortunately it´s you who is not capable of realizing it.

western media spin is quite successful with poeple who have unlearned to use their gray matter long ago...


as a start you should watch that movie Princip has posted here a few hours ago...

there you will see what and who the Albanians were in history, and what it is about their "moral high ground"...

so please, I am honest with you: I am no fan of the Albanians, that is true. but don´t write such a nonsense about me, I mean that layman-psychological stuff...it´s just annoying.
if you are an Albanian, then say it openly and do not hide like a coward.
if you´re not, please inform yourself a lot better instead of boring ( at least me ) to death...

Jovan, my friend (hope its ok to call yoy that!!)

On this I'm on the Serbian side. Their country has been violated and there is no justification for that!! Hoever, do you not admit that they were gulity of some hideous crimes in the 90's?? If not then you're in denial!

My father is a Serb from Bajina Basta. My mother is Albanian from pristina so I have split loyalties. Thats why I try and be objective but if you can't accept that then there is nothing I can say to make you see my reasoning.

I really hope Serbia does get Kosovo back but I fear this going on for years and Kosovo sinking into more poverty, crime and degredation.

Thanks for listening.

Peter B