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Tue, May 22 2012
Efforts continue to resolve standoff over Serbia’s draft UN resolution on Kosovo
Photo: Reuters
Serbia’s controversial draft resolution on Kosovo, scheduled for debate by the United Nations General Assembly on September 9 2010, continues to at the centre of a tug o’ war by Belgrade and Pristina in international diplomatic circles – and Spain has emerged as a possible broker of a compromise.
The Serbian draft resolution was tabled for debate in the UN in a sequel to the July 2010 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that found nothing out of order in international law with the February 2008 declaration of independence in Pristina.
Kosovo lacks sufficient recognitions for eligibility for recognition as a UN member state, but has the backing of the United States and all but five of the 27 European Union member states.
The most controversial provision in Serbia’s draft resolution is a paragraph that some fear could be used by Belgrade to seek to re-open status talks about Kosovo.
Since the ICJ ruling, there have been calls from several quarters for negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia to resolve issues affecting their citizens, but Kosovo and its allies reject any suggestion of re-opening status talks, arguing that Kosovo’s independence is a fact not subject to negotiation.
Influential EU states have been urging Serbia to back down on the resolution. The foreign ministers of Germany and the UK have made trips to Serbia in recent days.
Meanwhile, both sides continue their respective campaigns.
Serbian president Boris Tadic was scheduled to visit Slovenia on September 3, with an agenda including talks with prime minister Borut Pahor.
Serbia's draft Kosovo resolution was expected to be discussed, Serbian media said.
Reports said that the focus will be on what Ljubljana can do to find a solution that would satisfy most EU states.
Separately, reports said that Spain, which does not recognise Kosovo as independent, could broker a compromise between the EU and Belgrade.
Those who oppose the resolution in its current form believe it should be either substantially amended or wholly withdrawn.
Speaking during a visit to Africa, where he has been seeking to consolidate support among Serbia’s backers on the continent against Kosovo independence, Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said that his country wanted an outcome that would enable its continued diplomatic efforts to preserve the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Serbia, without losing sight of the strategic process of EU integration.
Interviewed by the BBC earlier this week, Jeremic insisted that Serbia would not make a choice between its Kosovo policy and its EU membership aspirations.
He also underlined to the BBC that Serbia was pursuing a diplomatic, peaceful route and would not resort to violence. This was an approach without precedent in the Balkans, Jeremic said.
On September 2, Jeremic said that the days ahead of the September 9 session in New York called for "composure and responsible behavior".
"We must not lose sight, not for one moment, of what we aim to achieve, and that is - not to have a decision adopted in New York that would support Kosovo's independence," Jeremic said, quoted in Serbian media.
He said that Serbia was working intensively on finding common ground with all EU member-states.
Serbian president Tadic will meet EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on September 7 to discuss possible compromise options, reports said.
Kosovo is continuing its own efforts, with president Fatmir Sejdiu and prime minister Hashim Thaci reported to be heading for New York to lobby ahead of the General Assembly session.
"Depending on the circumstances, but the highest Kosovo delegation will probably be present in New York – the president, prime minister, foreign minister and the team which is already now in New York and is working with all our partners and friends, with the commitment for a new success for the Republic of Kosovo," Thaci said.
Most observers believe that it is doubtful that Serbia would win a majority in the General Assembly in favour of its draft resolution on Kosovo, in its current form.
The Serbian draft resolution was tabled for debate in the UN in a sequel to the July 2010 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that found nothing out of order in international law with the February 2008 declaration of independence in Pristina.
Kosovo lacks sufficient recognitions for eligibility for recognition as a UN member state, but has the backing of the United States and all but five of the 27 European Union member states.
The most controversial provision in Serbia’s draft resolution is a paragraph that some fear could be used by Belgrade to seek to re-open status talks about Kosovo.
Since the ICJ ruling, there have been calls from several quarters for negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia to resolve issues affecting their citizens, but Kosovo and its allies reject any suggestion of re-opening status talks, arguing that Kosovo’s independence is a fact not subject to negotiation.
Influential EU states have been urging Serbia to back down on the resolution. The foreign ministers of Germany and the UK have made trips to Serbia in recent days.
Meanwhile, both sides continue their respective campaigns.
Serbian president Boris Tadic was scheduled to visit Slovenia on September 3, with an agenda including talks with prime minister Borut Pahor.
Serbia's draft Kosovo resolution was expected to be discussed, Serbian media said.
Reports said that the focus will be on what Ljubljana can do to find a solution that would satisfy most EU states.
Separately, reports said that Spain, which does not recognise Kosovo as independent, could broker a compromise between the EU and Belgrade.
Those who oppose the resolution in its current form believe it should be either substantially amended or wholly withdrawn.
Speaking during a visit to Africa, where he has been seeking to consolidate support among Serbia’s backers on the continent against Kosovo independence, Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said that his country wanted an outcome that would enable its continued diplomatic efforts to preserve the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Serbia, without losing sight of the strategic process of EU integration.
Interviewed by the BBC earlier this week, Jeremic insisted that Serbia would not make a choice between its Kosovo policy and its EU membership aspirations.
He also underlined to the BBC that Serbia was pursuing a diplomatic, peaceful route and would not resort to violence. This was an approach without precedent in the Balkans, Jeremic said.
On September 2, Jeremic said that the days ahead of the September 9 session in New York called for "composure and responsible behavior".
"We must not lose sight, not for one moment, of what we aim to achieve, and that is - not to have a decision adopted in New York that would support Kosovo's independence," Jeremic said, quoted in Serbian media.
He said that Serbia was working intensively on finding common ground with all EU member-states.
Serbian president Tadic will meet EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on September 7 to discuss possible compromise options, reports said.
Kosovo is continuing its own efforts, with president Fatmir Sejdiu and prime minister Hashim Thaci reported to be heading for New York to lobby ahead of the General Assembly session.
"Depending on the circumstances, but the highest Kosovo delegation will probably be present in New York – the president, prime minister, foreign minister and the team which is already now in New York and is working with all our partners and friends, with the commitment for a new success for the Republic of Kosovo," Thaci said.
Most observers believe that it is doubtful that Serbia would win a majority in the General Assembly in favour of its draft resolution on Kosovo, in its current form.
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@ Peggy:
Ok, here’s some proof:
According to Vučković and Nikolić (“Stanovništvo Kosova u razdoblju od 1918. do 1991. Godine), the Albanians are at least since 1921 forming a majority in Kosovo (about 65,8%).
Islami (“Dimensioni demografik I çështjes së Kosovës”) proves that in 50ies, the Serbian growth rate was 34,1per mill, the Albanian one 30,2per mill, so the theories of “outbreeding” is rubbish.
“…historical evidence of who was actually there for centuries mean nothing”. Exactly, Peggy, as I tried to explain with my “Rome” example: Even when the Ottomans were present [...]
Read the full comment for centuries in Spain and left a lot of outstanding buildings, they do not have an eternal right on that land!
Mike
Fri, Sep 10 2010 10:19 CET
@ Peggy (it’s a pity you won’t read this anymore…)
1. If you are looking for old maps, you will find out that the roman empire has even older rights in Kosovo, so please, hand it over to the Vatican
2. Long before WW2 Albanians were the majority in Kosovo, as show the numbers in the census during the SHS-Kingdom, but even before, as modern scientists belief.
-----------------------
Yes, I am going [...]
Read the full comment to read this. Why do yo think I won't?
First, forget the Roman empire. If everyone went back to what Roman Empire held we would upset quite a few countries now so please spare me the garbage about the Roman Empire. You are only trying to detract from the real issue.
Second, how about you produce some evidence of this census. You guys say that Serbs make up stuff but I don't see you producing any evidence to back your claims.
So you would like to go only as far as WW2 in order to prove Kosovo belongs to Albanians but when I mention before that you go into some sort of a stupid rant about the Vatican.
In your opinion people who outbreed others within a few decades deserve to secede from that country and historical evidence of who was actually there for centuries mean nothing.
Proof my good man. Give us proof.
G
fate of this new reality in Kosovo will be the same as rality that was during the Second World War. Kosovo have been some kind of protectorate state of Nazi Germany Fascist Italy and Albanija. Maybe this time will only last a little longer than the 4 years.
G
the truth will come out once and you'll be as funny as you always were. Only in what you are good at is lying and genocide against Serbs in Kosovo! Of course, when Serbs can not strike back at the attacks.
I'm glad you compared the Serbs with the Nazis, but this can be attributed to only the Albanians, or as they call themselves schiptari!
In 1941-1942. Kosovo-Metohija was made a part of a Greater Albania by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Hitler and Mussolini realized the Greater Albania ideology established by the [...]
Read the full comment 1878 League of Prizren. Albanian-settled areas of the Balkans - Kosovo-Metohija, western Macedonia, southern Montenegro - were incorporated in a Greater Albania. The Greater Albania Kosovar Albanian nationalist movement murdered Kosovo Serb civilians and took over their lands and houses. Kosovo Serb women were raped. Kosovo Serb Orthodox priests were arrested, tortured, and murdered. Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were attacked and destroyed. Serbian monuments, cemeteries, and gravestones were desecrated and demolished. The Greater Albania nationalist movement formed the Balli Kombetar, the Albanian Kosovo Committee, and the Skanderbeg Nazi SS Division, two-thirds of whose members were Kosovar Albanian Muslims. Kosovar Albanian Muslims played a major role in the Holocaust, the murder of European Jews. Kosovar Albanian Nazi SS troops participated in the roundup of Kosovo Jews who were later killed at Bergen-Belsen. What occurred in Kosovo during World War II was genocide. The mainstream accounts of World War II have censored and covered up the Kosovar Albanian role in the genocide against Kosovo Serbs and the role of Kosovar Albanians in the Holocaust.
The Nazi past of Kosovo remains an untold story.
"Nenad"
Some citations are needed man, this is not the serb parliament that you can just release liquid words with no hard proof. All you Serbs are great at synchronized lying. Proof not copy paste rohadek.
To Mike & G
The communist movement between the two world wars, led by the Comintern, was seriously counted on the Albanian iredente category. Albanian emigrants in the Soviet Union in 1928
founded the Communist group of Albania. As in other parts of Yugoslavia where after 1928 communists came to collaboration with fascist groups, which they called "National revolutionary groups" Yugoslav communists also counted on the cooperation with the Albanian extremist nationalists.
Communist Party of Yugoslavia in mid-1937th founded the Communist Party regional committee for Kosovo which was the foundation and the institutional autonomy [...]
Read the full comment of the area later in communist Yugoslavia.
Namely the structure of Tito's Yugoslavia was based almost entirely on pre-war organizational-territorial structure of the Communist Party. Just the party decision of Tito and his Communist vrhuška the Support the project "Greater Albania" which was central Ring autonomy, ie. actual exclusion of Kosovo from Serbia.
Leadership of the Yugoslav Communists, led by Josip Broz Tito, was consistent with its strategy of weakening the Serbian factor in future Yugoslavia. Albanian factor was one of the means in that strategy, and it shows a number of decisions of Tito's communist movement.These are noted and by international observers the situation in Yugoslavia during World War II.Major John Major Heniker the British military mission in southern Serbia,
serving as head of the local mission of the Allied Headquarters of the Partisan movement of Serbia, marked the end of 1944:
"I believe in Tito's statement that he was not interested in the future of Kosovo, which would be given to Albania in the event that she wants it.
This explains the emergence of the constitution of 1974. year. and all prior constitutional acts by communist regime since they take over power in Serbia afer WWII. but also has nothing to do with the will of the Serbian people and Serbian statehood, which takes much longer than the state for which you pour.
The same Tito has forbidden 250000 Serbian refugees to return to their homes in Kosovo and Metohija, in 1945.. and between the 1968th and 1988. 700 sites in Kosovo becomes completely ethnically pure (non-Serbs).he also allowed 300000 refugies Albanians from Albania to settle in Kosovo and Metohija in 1948. In komunist Jugoslavija another 50000 where forced to flee from Kosovo and Metohija because Albaninan terror. This is how Albaninas become majority population on Kosovo and Metohija. At the end 250000 where forced to flee from Kosovo under terror of Albaninans afer NATO aggression on Serbia.
In 1929th in Kosovo and Metohija was 61% Serb and 39% of the population all other nationalities.
On the census 1961st there were 646,605 Albanians (67.1% total population of Kosovo). Listed 1971st The registered 916 168 (73.7%), Albanians (this number is included, and Albanians who
fleeing the communist regime of Enver Hoxha)
Census 1981, conducted under the control of the provincial government noted
1,226,736 Albanians which is 77.48% of the then total population of Kosovo
and Metohija
In contrast to the Albanian population that has increased in absolute and relative number of the Serbs in Kosovo perceive the reverse process. Census 1961st The marks 264 604 or 27.4% of Serbs in Kosovo, and in 1991.recorded 214,555 or 11% of the total population.
All these figures are only statistics, and every Serb who left Kosovo has its own(Creepy) story about the ways that it is compelled to do so. Threats, blackmail, burning houses, physical harassment, destruction of tombs, cultural monuments, murder, rape ...
By some estimates, since the beginning of World War II, Kosovo is gone
more than half a million Serbs
This is also history of Albanian nation, and shame!!! This is how you and Tito bild your historical right on Kosovo and Metohija. Did you apologiez for this crime. What happened with Serbs in Kosovo?
Nebojsa, you sound like a broken record from 1300's.
Grow up and move on, none of you Serbs have courage or humility to do anything other than bla bluping.
Sad how low Serbs are sinking with their own delusions and lies.
All the best to you living side by side with nazi like genocidal criminals. I guess you deserve it :P
Kosovo is Serbia! Kosovo and Metohija is part of the Serbia and it is our land, "heart" of the Serbia for centuries. There are many ours orthodox churches as argument. So Called “state of Kosovo" is really "NATO state" .The Serbs will never forget NATO bombing and terror of the Albanians from Kosovo.
@ Peggy (it’s a pity you won’t read this anymore…)
1. If you are looking for old maps, you will find out that the roman empire has even older rights in Kosovo, so please, hand it over to the Vatican
2. Long before WW2 Albanians were the majority in Kosovo, as show the numbers in the census during the SHS-Kingdom, but even before, as modern scientists belief.
3. Tito’s decision to stop Serbian Returnees to return was abolished just two weeks later, and they could return.
4. In the 50ies, the Serbian growth rate was 34,1per [...]
Read the full comment mill, the Albanian one 30,2per mill… “breeding out of control”?!?
So, Peggy, these are the facts. I am not a big fan of Kosovo, but we should all just stick to the facts!
With all the history the Serbian and Bulgarian people have had, with all the blood the two orthodox people have spilt, with all the same christian beliefs we share. All the wrong doings in history we have made upon one another, for the true meaning of Kosovo to Serbia. For the fact that we share a common writing, a simular language. For not only the interest of peace and forgiveness, but for the long lasting preservation of who we are, and we we wish to be. For the "political" interests to stay strong. For the thought of bowing to the [...]
Read the full comment true enemy. For the reason of Serbia never attacking bulgaria on its own land, for never wanting to take what was not ours, for the strongest connection of sharing the same belief and belonging to the same mother church. For so much more than this, Leave aside, politics, leave aside past history, leave aside any misunderstaning, and unreasoning, and do what is right, do what god would have you to do, Stand behind serbia as your church does, as your romanian, greek, russian, belarussian, ukrainian brothers have done. Stand behind us, as we stood behind you, God forgives us all if we pray strong enough, and God gives us a chance to make right from wrong, bring good upon evil, and that is what im asking Bulgaria to do.
One question to the Albanian camp first. Why do you keep calling Kosovo "Kosova" when even on your own passports it says Kosovo?
Now Dig up any old map and you will see that Albania has NEVER had Kosovo and it has always been Serbian. What do you Albanians have to prove that Kosovo is yours?
Serbs have plenty of evidence of Kosovo being their. All you have to look at is centuries old churches and monasteries, but what do you Albanians have?
Sure, a small number of you might've [...]
Read the full comment been there but you were never in any significant numbers until the end of WW2. That's when Serbs were not allowed to return white Tito encouraged an influx from neighboring Albania and add that to a very high birthrate you have a majority.
Breeding out of control does not give you a country you know.
Show me proof of Kosovo being yours or even you being such a majority before WW2 if you can. If you can't, just simply admit you are thieves.
SInce Kosovo became independent because of a large majority of Albanians, then Northern Epirus should become independent from Albania for its large majority of Greeks.
Free Northern Epirus........
After ICJ advisory opinion Honduras opened the new fresh recognitions!
It became the 70-th country to recognize Kosova independence
Serbia is planing
Kosova is counting
Kosovo is integral part of Serbia and has been for centuries.Newly arrived Albanians under Tito,s Yugoslavia were expanding by purpose building their numbers and working behind the curtain in taking off Serbian land.By buying lobbyists and doing phony and doggy
business, collecting moneys from fellow immigrants and disrespecting Serbia ,they are trying to expand their territories and make Greater
Albania.Serbs were curbed in their attempts to united their people and territories, while Albanians are allowed.Future will show who was doing what in the Balkans.Let history judge these turbulent times and events.
Spain is trying hard to save what's left on Serbian diplomacy. After falling on issuing properly the legacy of Kosova independence at ICJ, an other failure of Serbian diplomacy would have irremediable cost, not only for Serbian position.
It's clear for everybody that the position taken by Serbia in the treatment of UDI, was sponsored by some countries who think that Kosova UDI, may have an direct or indirect impact in their own cases. Under such light the Serbian failure is a big loss for them too. After ICJ advisory opinion their position is much more [...]
Read the full comment fable not only because now Kosova holds de facto the territorial control but is proven that it's position has an de jure certification.
The Serbian fallout is not a cost only for Serbia. It's supporters like Spain are just trying to reduce the impact it will have and others are just looking the possibility to review their position.