TIRANA TIMES
In recent days, the Kosovo government took important steps to take full charge of the country’s economy and territory. It put in place an embargo on goods coming from Serbia, which is basically a delayed implementation of reciprocity since Serbia (and even Bosnia) had blocked Kosovo goods for a long time while flooding the Kosovo market with Serb products. To implement the embargo, the Kosovo government attempted to establish control over customs at the border with Serbia, which are in an area with Serb-majority population on which Prishtina has had limited control.
The violence on the roads and at the customs check-points showed a dreadful state of affairs in Kosovo.
First, it was clear relations between Kosovo and Serbia remain those of a frozen conflict. The reaction of the Kosovo Serbs and Belgrade indicates they will not budge in exercising control over certain parts of Kosovo’s territory.
Second, the situation showed weakness in the international community, more specifically the European Union, to influence a solution to this frozen conflict, something that would provide stability throughout the region.
There is insistence on the Serb side to maintain the status quo. But this is dangerous and could lead to more violence, because the Kosovo government, like the government of any country, should have the right to control its customs and territory.
Unfortunately last week’s violence came with a price. A member of the Kosovo state police forces was killed and several others injured. Serb extremists, Serb parallel institutions in Kosovo, but also parts of the Serb government that support these parallel structures, are responsible for the killing.
The situation also shows that EULEX failed to perform the main tasks and its mission in Kosovo, which is helping to establish rule of law. Functioning of the customs in northern Kosovo is not simply a matter of law enforcement, however. Everyone should understand that the application of law in the north should be done through an exercise of sovereignty by the Government of Kosovo.The border with Serbia is not an administrative border. It is an international border that separates two countries and it should be treated as such.
The attempt to place control on the customs at the border with Serbia is first an effort to establish control of territory through legal means, and second making sure the customs work properly, stopping smuggling and trafficking. In essence it is about sovereignty over the whole country.
At this point, 77 countries, almost all of the world’s established democracies and most of the EU – minus places like Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, etc נhave recognized Kosovo and by default have recognized its internal sovereignty over territory and borders.
In a statement, EU authorities in Kosovo said, “EULEX has always supported the restoration of full customs controls at Gates 1 and 31 in a manner that is sustainable and consistent with EU standards. However, the European Union, including EULEX, is not in a position to support measures which are not taken in full consultation with all relevant stakeholders. The only way forward is through discussion and the issue of customs should be settled during the Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue. Violence benefits no one.
EULEX is backed by all twenty-seven member states of the European Union and has full support from the High Representative of EU Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton. EULEX’s mandate was approved by all member states as well as the Kosovo authorities.”
The statement means that the EU and its agencies, including EULEX, expect that the rule of law and EU standards in Kosovo or on its borders with other countries should be implemented with the consensus of Serbia.
It is hard to believe the European Union has high expectations from the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue.A process of reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo similar to the Franco-German reconciliation is not possible if Serbia does not really deal with its past.
An international relations expert of the Albanian Institute for International Studies says that if Serbia considers the process of confrontation with the past as finished after arresting war criminals, that is a wrong idea. “Everyone in Brussels or Washington knows the Serb government is selling its war criminals for a high price נspeeding up the process of European integration,” he said.
Kosovo, which, let’s not forget, suffered so much under the Serb regimes, is out of that equation.
At the end of the day, the Kosovo government took the right steps to establish sovereignty over its customs in the north. Any withdrawal from such position would be very detrimental to Europe’s newest country.
