24 March 2009 - BELGRADE AND PRISTINA OFFICIALS DEBATE FUTURE OF KOSOVO AT NATO PA SEMINAR

Both Brigadier General Berger and Natacha Andonovski-Carter, Deputy Head of EULEX’s Policy Office, confirmed that EULEX and KFOR are still learning to work together, but are enjoying some success on the ground.

Kruna Petkovic, Assistant Minister for Kosovo and Metohija for international co-operation, and Naim Maloku, member of the Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo, illustrated the persistent and deep rift between Belgrade and Pristina’s views on Kosovo’s declared independence. Ms Petkovic reaffirmed Belgrade ’s official position that Kosovo’s declaration of independence constituted “an act of direct violation of international law and order, contrary to the UN Charter, UNSC Resolutions and the Helsinki Final Act”. Mr Maloku countered that 56 states in most regions of the world have recognized Kosovo as an independent state. Asked about the impending opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, Ms Petkovic also confirmed that Serbia had committed to accept the Court’s ruling.

Mr Maloku focused on Kosovo’s institutional development, noting that “today we don’t talk about stabilization any more, but about development”. He also assured participants that “Kosovo will not be an Albanian state”, that it will remain multiethnic, and that its leaders “want to integrate all communities” and “improve the security for all citizens of Kosovo”.  Ms Petkovic repeatedly pointed out, however, that one needs to look at developments in Kosovo over the past decade rather than the past year, and whether these “make a foundation conducive to building a sustainable society”.

Ms Petkovic further called on the international community to refrain from taking any decisions that might worsen the situation on the ground. While expressing her appreciation for KFOR’s role as a protective force in Kosovo, she challenged NATO’s support for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), calling it “a serious breach of the Resolution 1244”. This decision, she continued, compromises NATO’s declared status-neutral position in Kosovo. Brigadier General Berger responded that the KSF is neither an offensive force nor an army. Moreover, the force will meet NATO standards and will be multiethnic insofar as 10% of the positions are reserved for non-majority populations. 

Ms Petkovic concluded that “Serbia will never give up her defense of Kosovo and Metohija and her intention is to always constitute a part of a solution”. Nevertheless, she assured participants that “Serbia stays fully committed to pursuing peaceful political and democratic ways of problem solving”, and emphasized that a genuine solution to the dispute requires dialogue and co-operation. Mr Maloku also argued that, although one cannot forget what happened, all sides need “to stop being hostages of the past”.