EU must take lead on Kosovo, says report

A new report released by the international crisis group says that the EU must give a clear message on Kosovo this week.

The report says that the European Council must officially declare the negotiations between Serbia and its southern province to be over when it meets in Brussels on Friday.

The EU should also declare the Ahtisaari plan (a proposal released by the UN’s special envoy for Kosovo, Marti Ahtisaari, in February, recommending that Kosovo should become independent subject to a period of international supervision) the best way forward for the province and signal its readiness to deploy field missions under the EU's security and defence policy.

“Without a clear and unequivocal message from the European Council meeting, Ban [Ki-moon] is unlikely to feel able to make any statement welcoming the EU mission,” says the report.

It also singles out Russia for deliberately delaying negotiations on Kosovo, and insists that action must be taken now before it’s too late.

“Kosovo’s transition to the status of conditional or supervised independence has been greatly complicated by Russia’s firm support of Serbia’s refusal to accept that it has lost its one-time province.

“Kosovo and the wider western Balkans have become less stable, and further delay would worsen matters: this is not a situation that can develop comfortably into ‘frozen conflict’ status.”

Meanwhile, in a meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the future status of Kosovo, EU foreign ministers reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to resolving the issues in the Balkans.

“Next year is crucial to further consolidate and implement the EU's enlargement strategy and support the transition process in the western Balkans. The council recalls various proposals made on this issue and that the future of the western Balkans lies in the European union.”

The BBC reports a possible division among EU member states over Kosovan independence, with Cyprus pushing for a UN resolution before any declarations are made. Previously, Spain, Slovakia and Greece had expressed reservations about a Kosovan move, fearing it would provoke unrest at home.

Yesterday, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon was expected to present the report of the UN’s ‘contact group’ of countries to the security council.

The group reported on the failed negotiations between Kosovans and Serbs, which were monitored by a troika of EU, US and Russian representatives and ended in deadlock at the end of November.

The EU-US-Russian troika released its own report on 4 December saying that neither side in the dispute over Kosovo “was willing to yield on the basic question of sovereignty”.

The troika began work on 1 August after the UN security council’s contact group recommended another period of negotiations with the former Yugoslavian province.

Last month Kosovo's Democratic Party, led by ex-guerrilla Hashim Thaci, won parliamentary elections, and pledged to declare independence immediately after 10 December. According to the ICG report, Kosovo is likely to issue a statement in January of its intent to declare independence in May 2008.

Meanwhile, Reuters news agency reports that a Kosovan government spokesman, Skender Hyseni, has said that a declaration will come much earlier than May, with diplomats saying it could come as early as January or February.

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