ICAR News Network - Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

ICAR News Network

A Way Out for Kosovo?
Dennis Sandole, ICAR Professor
Posted: 07/02/07

[Published, International Herald Tribune, July 1, 2007] The page one article "EU faces thorny choice on Kosovo" (June 29) raises some thorny issues. Depending upon how the world responds to the Kosovo final status conundrum - "phased independence" over the next few years for the Kosovar Albanian majority (the UN plan), or "substantial autonomy" for the province (Belgrade's position) - the decision has grave implications for the resurrection of violence between Serbs and Albanians and for the Balkans in general.

What to do? This is clearly not the time for "old" thinking, which seems to have dominated the discourse over Kosovo thus far, with threats and counter-threats, talk of Russians holding EU foreign policy hostage, and the like.

Why not reframe the plan presented last January by Martti Ahtisaari, the UN special envoy, to allow Serbia to retain dejure sovereignty over Kosovo, but allow the Albanians to have defacto sovereignty through a leasing agreement with Belgrade. This, plus all the protections for human rights of Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo, with the European Union working assiduously to get Serbia as well as Kosovo into "the Club" where, once again, both would be members of the same overarching framework, might do the trick, at least until other, longer term procedures are worked out to the satisfaction of all concerned.

News Network Homepage / Armenia / 2008 Elections / Afghanistan / Diplomacy/ Egypt / Environment / Global Peace Index / Health / Immigration / Iraq / Iran / Islam / Kosovo / Nuclear Proliferation / Pakistan / Palestine-Israel / Russia / Somalia / South America / Turkey /




ICAR News Network A Way Out for Kosovo? Dennis Sandole, ICAR Professor Posted: 07/02/07 [Published, International Herald Tribune, July 1, 2007] The page one article "EU faces thorny choice on Kosovo" (June 29) raises some thorny issues. Depending upon how the world responds to the Kosovo final status conundrum - "phased independence" over the next few years for the Kosovar Albanian majority (the UN plan), or "substantial autonomy" for the province (Belgrade's position) - the decision has grave implications for the resurrection of violence between Serbs and Albanians and for the Balkans in general. What to do? This is clearly not the time for "old" thinking, which seems to have dominated the discourse over Kosovo thus far, with threats and counter-threats, talk of Russians holding EU foreign policy hostage, and the like. Why not reframe the plan presented last January by Martti Ahtisaari, the UN special envoy, to allow Serbia to retain dejure sovereignty over Kosovo, but allow the Albanians to have defacto sovereignty through a leasing agreement with Belgrade. This, plus all the protections for human rights of Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo, with the European Union working assiduously to get Serbia as well as Kosovo into "the Club" where, once again, both would be members of the same overarching framework, might do the trick, at least until other, longer term procedures are worked out to the satisfaction of all concerned. News Network Homepage / Armenia / 2008 Elections / Afghanistan / Diplomacy/ Egypt / Environment / Global Peace Index / Health / Immigration / Iraq / Iran / Islam / Kosovo / Nuclear Proliferation / Pakistan / Palestine-Israel / Russia / Somalia / South America / Turkey /		About ICAR Student Information Prospective Students Faculty and Staff Alumni Career Services Academic Programs Library ICAR In The News Events Technology Resources ICAR Publications Point Of View Center Center for World Religions, Diplomacy & Conflict Resolution