Diverse responses from the EU

Kosovo “is not a territory like any other”, declared Vuk Jeremic, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in explaining the hardline position adopted by his government following the unilateral declaration of independence by the authorities of Pristina on Sunday 17 February. “Kosovo – he continued – is the crux of our identity; it is the essential link between our glorious past and our European future”. That’s why Belgrade is digging in its heels, threatening to withdraw its ambassadors from the countries that recognize the “secession” (USA and France among the first, followed by the majority of EU member states), and seeking diplomatic support from Moscow and Beijing.The 27 divided once again. Jeremik is engaged in a diplomatic shuttle through Europe to underline the firm position of his country, which has just emerged from a bruising electoral contest and is now having to come to terms with a recalcitrant “southern province” that has decided to take its own road with the blessing of half the international community. The situation is rapidly evolving: the first endorsements of Pristina’s declaration of independence arrived on the following day, Monday 18 February; the foreign affairs ministers of the 27 were meeting in Brussels and, having failed to reach any unanimous decision, decided that Europe would proceed with broken ranks. The EU Council “acknowledges that member states will decide in conformity with their national practices” on what relations to adopt towards the new Balkan republic. The elegant prose of the document of the ministers cannot disguise the fact that, once again, the EU has failed to reach agreement on a key foreign policy issue, and one that directly regards the geography of Europe. On Tuesday 19 February other capitals followed suit and recognized the declaration of independence or announced that they had begun procedures that would lead to such recognition. An “inevitable decision”. EU foreign policy chief, the Spaniard Javier Solana, lost no time in flying to Pristina to meet Hashim Tachi, former combatant in the UCK “army of liberation” and now political leader of Kosovo. Solana has no doubts: “The unity of the EU on the question of Kosovo can be gauged by the decision to send the Eulex mission”, to “facilitate the transition”, and reinforce the institutions and local administrations, bringing with it huge flows of financial aid. It is a mission composed of 2000 civilians, which will flank NATO’s military mission (17,000 troops). From Strasbourg, the Finnish Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn has spoken of Pristina’s declaration of independence as an “inevitable decision”. The plenary session of the European Parliament is now underway in the Alsatian city; it is dedicating a trilateral debate (involving Parliament, Council and Commission) to the Balkan events of recent days. The President of the EP, the German Hans-Gert Poettering, explains: “The declaration of independence reflects the will of Kosovar citizens. Now the authorities of the Balkan country will have to guarantee democracy, security and equal rights to all its citizens and peaceful collaboration with neighbouring states, in a multi-ethnic nation”. Common future in the EU. Poettering’s declaration is echoed by Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, current President of the EU Council: “There are no longer any walls. The future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union. Serbia must get rid of the shadow of Milosevic, of its past, and look to the future”. Announcing a forum on the Balkans at the end of March, Rupel insisted: “After the victory of Tadic, the Serbian process of seeking EU membership is reinforced”. But Rupel failed to take on board the attitude of the Serbian President himself, Boris Tadic who declared: “The declaration of independence of the Kosovar Albanians represents a flagrant violation of Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council”. Also in Strasbourg, Serbian Foreign Minister Jeremic met the foreign affairs commission of the European Parliament and then gave a speech to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The independence of Kosovo, he said, “is an illegal and illegitimate unilateral act” that “prejudices the territorial integrity of Serbia” and “destabilises the Balkans”. The young foreign affairs minister further explained at a press conference: “We have no intention of allowing anyone to threaten the unity of our country and its national sovereignty. We reject any action of the self-proclaimed authorities of Kosovo. At the same time we declare our willingness to resume the negotiations, under the aegis of the United Nations, with the provisional authorities of Pristina”. Secessionist threats. “International law is on our side”, added Jeremic. He confirmed that Belgrade would not have recourse to force, but he went on to explain: “What happened last Sunday is a grave act. Other independence-seeking regions could in future break the territorial integrity of European countries”. He cited the case of Cyprus, but he also touched on a raw nerve that is keenly felt by many European premiers who said during the Foreign Ministers’ Council they were contrary to recognizing the new Kosovo: secessionist threats are surfacing in Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia… Could the EU – a journalist asked him – offer you membership in the short term as a quid pro quo? “We have no intention – replied Jeremic – of bartering away a part of our country for a place in the Union”.