Kosovo's independence- When, not Why?

Insight in the recent past: Negotiations course

The UN-sponsored talks, mediated by UN's special envoy for the status process Martti Ahtisaari, commenced in Vienna on 20 February 2006. The international community wanted to complete the negotiations this year. So far, however, it seems that the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians are unable to agree on a solution over Kosovo status!

The UN Security Council met in mid-September to discuss Kosovo. Joachim Ruecker, head of the UN mission in the province, told the UN SC that resolving the status issue is crucial to further stabilisation and that any postponement would be counterproductive.

"Isolation is not the answer to their problems. Integration is," UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker said in a speech to the UN Security Council, urging Kosovo's Serbs to end their boycott of the province's institutions.

Not only the offiical Kosovo delegation's position but also the Intenrational community's one is that the independence of Kosovo is the only desirable outcome. Recently I recieved an email from a colleague of mine from Kosovo in which he stated, answering to my email in which I invited him to submit a paper on Kosovo's future: "the scholars will deal for a long time with issues in regard to Kosova status, and I have the filing that the people in the country are preparing the celebrations for the independency" he continued neverthless cautiously " or in worst case some thing else …". The independence of Kosovo seems so realistic, the question is onyl when and how will it be achieved in order to satisfy the Serb negotiation delegation.

Even the IC seems fed up with the Serb position and rejects its claim that Kosovo's independence would set a precedent for brekaway attempts of Russian provinces, known as the "frozen conflicts" in the former Soviet Union". UN envoy Albert Rohan recently commented at the negotiation talks in Vienna: "We could talk for another 10 years and not change anything." I guess this loss of diplomatic patience was a sign that IC expect some results should occure in due time. Patrick Moore's comment on finalization of Kosovo status, in which he argues the solution should be put on the table till the end of this year, is worth reeding, and can be found at RFE/RL site.

Taking a look in the future: Economy (only?!) matters

Allegedly, economic issues are the main preoccupation of Kosovo's citizens. Some hope they will be able to find a job and have a better future once the status issue is resolved, while others are less confident, at least SEE Times article claimes so.

Similarly, European Stability Initative's last report - Cutting the lifeline. Migration, Families and the Future of Kosovo - argues that migration needs to be at the centre of current debates on Kosovo's future. The report calim it is incoherent for European states to invest hundreds of millions of euros in the stabilisation of Kosovo, and at the same time to slam the door abruptly on any further migration. The report calls on the European Union to identify ways in which rural Kosovars can find temporary work abroad.