Brilliant act of diplomacy – this is how one should name the latest diplomatic action of the past several months regarding the new European mission in Kosovo – EULEX. The question is: how did this diplomatic storm develop?
The Ahtisaari agreement was rejected from its inception by Serbia, because it was against the interests of the Kosovo Serbs and illegitimate because it was not approved by the UN Security Council. EULEX, according to Serbia, violated Serbian sovereignty and was absolutely unacceptable.
Faced with this stagnation, the USA made the first
diplomatic step through UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon: finding out
what was the negotiating position of Serbia. Six points requests that
were introduced by the Serbian Government, were surprising. They
allowed more than it was agreed in the Ahtisaari agreement. The
negotiating zone was suddenly as wide as it could be. Those points
accepted the EULEX mission! In sum, Kosovo Serbs must have
self-government under the EULEX mission, administered by the rules of
UNMIK, under the UN Resolution 1244. This negotiating position of
Serbia is a result of two issues: one – Serbia aspires candidacy for
membership with European Union, and two – Kosovo is an obstacle for
realizing this aspiration, that is why this obstacle must be
eliminated, secretly and with oxymoron propaganda. All this must be
interpreted as an extraordinary victory for the Serbian diplomacy.
The US of course agrees to play a role in this game of Serbia – a supporting role for victorious Serbia. Russia supports Serbia because it helps its interests to thaw the frozen relations with the US and EU – now when it is going through economic crisis. European Union accepts its role in this scheme on behalf of its interest to keep a unified European politics and strengthen relations with Russia. All parties, with the exception of the uninformed Kosovo, silently understand that Serbia is taking final steps of capitulation and giving up of Kosovo. They understand that these are the maneuvers of the Serbian government to open up the roads of recognizing Kosovo as an independent state – as an essential, but silent condition for membership in the EU. The point is to create an illusion that the Serbian interpretation of international law is being applied.
Serbia controls the Kosovo Serbs, which blindly obey political orders from Belgrade – but not those that deal with crime and corruption. Kosovo Serbs are a liability and a permanent risk for the economic and political well being in Serbia. They control the criminal underground in Serbia. Elimination of this mafia crime in Serbia is a second condition for membership in the EU – and a fundamental interest of Serbia.
As a result, whenever Serbian government representatives mentions those points, they talk about them only partially and never completely, attributing them to the genius capabilities of Serbian diplomacy – symbolized with Mr. Vuk Jeremic, the Serbian Foreign Minister. The truth is that those points are a copy from Ahtisaari agreement, but they are expressed by Mr. Vuk Jeremic, with bombastic method of interpretation as Serbian conditions, and repeating them as a mantra, followed up with highly effective dogmatism summarized with a saying – we will never recognize the independent state of Kosovo. Suddenly, the Ahtisaari agreement, as interpreted from Serbian officials is transformed and acceptable for Serbia! The Serbian state diplomacy, eloquent only in appearance, never speaks the truth, but only the contrary. Eloquent diplomacy is the one, which speaks the truth.
The force of quasi-eloquent diplomacy of Serbian officials is so strong; they almost persuaded even Albanians themselves that they are the biggest loser. They almost convinced Albanians to forget who they are. So convincingly they have spoken, but hardly any truth was said. They almost thought that they were able to shake the belief and convictions of Albanians of Kosovo in the righteousness of their goal of modern state creation. They almost thought they could shake they trust in the justice of this undertaking.
In this diplomatic game, deeply complex, Kosovo leadership declares against the 6 pointes and proposes its own four points for defending the territorial sovereignty of Kosovo. Non-governmental organizations sensed a deception. Citizens are confused and left with none to trust to. No person knew the Serbian proposed points but everyone debated about them – until the moment they became public in the UN meeting in New York.
A big surprise was the diplomatic ignorance of the Kosovo leadership, which did not understand that a game was being played, and that the Kosovo media showed even more ignorance. The US immediately dispatches its own diplomat, undersecretary of State, Mr. Daniel Fried, which in the Kosovo media states the truth very clearly: this is a temporary agreement for implementing the EULEX mission, that this mission is not status neutral, it will not be against the ideals of the Kosovo independent state, and that it secures the territorial sovereignty of Kosovo. In the end, for the who-knows-how-many-times, he stresses out that the US always keeps its words and its promises.
All this goes on without being noticed by both Albanians and Serbs, mentally blinded by the Balkan emotions: Serbia celebrating their great victory and happy that they scored a goal, and Albanians terrified that Serbia really did it this time. Or perhaps all this reaction was a part of this game? Who is to know? One thing is clear: this reaction is an illusion. The truth is different.
It is utterly irrelevant whether this mission is approved with or without status neutral condition, with or without UN mandate of Resolution 1244. EULEX was up until yesterday the greatest enemy of Serbia, but today it is its greatest friend. Doesn’t this show a consistency in Serbian government behavior – to cloak its defeats under a cover of a victory? Yes – is the answer at a first sight, but on the other side Serbia is wining points for EU membership.
That which Kosovo has gained is that EULEX is being implemented in its north. It is taking back the government institutions and taking out parallel institutions of Serbia. EULEX mission will apply the laws of Kosovo. This is a miraculously kept secret by the Serbian officials.
The courts in the north will be Kosovo courts and will apply laws legislated in the Kosovo Parliament. Maybe the court judges will be Europeans or local Serbs, but this is in the interest of Kosovo and peace. The customs will be taken over by EULEX, which will apply UN or EU laws or maybe Kosovo laws, if they have them. Maybe those laws will be called EULEX laws. Where is the problem in this picture? Nowhere. It is better than Serbian controlled institutions. Eventually, all these will be handed down to Kosovo institutions.
The brilliant act of the US diplomacy consists in packaging all these and stamping it with Ban Ki-moon’s name. Thus begins the second phase: the implementation of the decision approved by the UN Security Council. This decision was watered down after taking into consideration all parties involved, and was left for a wide interpretation. The US interprets it, as Mr. Fried said: - as a temporary and not at all status neutral. Kosovo has a chance to show itself as a serious party and embrace the interpretation of Kosovo closest ally and learn from this excellent diplomacy worthy for study books. This diplomatic storm should be a lesson for Kosovo diplomatic service.
The US of course agrees to play a role in this game of Serbia – a supporting role for victorious Serbia. Russia supports Serbia because it helps its interests to thaw the frozen relations with the US and EU – now when it is going through economic crisis. European Union accepts its role in this scheme on behalf of its interest to keep a unified European politics and strengthen relations with Russia. All parties, with the exception of the uninformed Kosovo, silently understand that Serbia is taking final steps of capitulation and giving up of Kosovo. They understand that these are the maneuvers of the Serbian government to open up the roads of recognizing Kosovo as an independent state – as an essential, but silent condition for membership in the EU. The point is to create an illusion that the Serbian interpretation of international law is being applied.
Serbia controls the Kosovo Serbs, which blindly obey political orders from Belgrade – but not those that deal with crime and corruption. Kosovo Serbs are a liability and a permanent risk for the economic and political well being in Serbia. They control the criminal underground in Serbia. Elimination of this mafia crime in Serbia is a second condition for membership in the EU – and a fundamental interest of Serbia.
As a result, whenever Serbian government representatives mentions those points, they talk about them only partially and never completely, attributing them to the genius capabilities of Serbian diplomacy – symbolized with Mr. Vuk Jeremic, the Serbian Foreign Minister. The truth is that those points are a copy from Ahtisaari agreement, but they are expressed by Mr. Vuk Jeremic, with bombastic method of interpretation as Serbian conditions, and repeating them as a mantra, followed up with highly effective dogmatism summarized with a saying – we will never recognize the independent state of Kosovo. Suddenly, the Ahtisaari agreement, as interpreted from Serbian officials is transformed and acceptable for Serbia! The Serbian state diplomacy, eloquent only in appearance, never speaks the truth, but only the contrary. Eloquent diplomacy is the one, which speaks the truth.
The force of quasi-eloquent diplomacy of Serbian officials is so strong; they almost persuaded even Albanians themselves that they are the biggest loser. They almost convinced Albanians to forget who they are. So convincingly they have spoken, but hardly any truth was said. They almost thought that they were able to shake the belief and convictions of Albanians of Kosovo in the righteousness of their goal of modern state creation. They almost thought they could shake they trust in the justice of this undertaking.
In this diplomatic game, deeply complex, Kosovo leadership declares against the 6 pointes and proposes its own four points for defending the territorial sovereignty of Kosovo. Non-governmental organizations sensed a deception. Citizens are confused and left with none to trust to. No person knew the Serbian proposed points but everyone debated about them – until the moment they became public in the UN meeting in New York.
A big surprise was the diplomatic ignorance of the Kosovo leadership, which did not understand that a game was being played, and that the Kosovo media showed even more ignorance. The US immediately dispatches its own diplomat, undersecretary of State, Mr. Daniel Fried, which in the Kosovo media states the truth very clearly: this is a temporary agreement for implementing the EULEX mission, that this mission is not status neutral, it will not be against the ideals of the Kosovo independent state, and that it secures the territorial sovereignty of Kosovo. In the end, for the who-knows-how-many-times, he stresses out that the US always keeps its words and its promises.
All this goes on without being noticed by both Albanians and Serbs, mentally blinded by the Balkan emotions: Serbia celebrating their great victory and happy that they scored a goal, and Albanians terrified that Serbia really did it this time. Or perhaps all this reaction was a part of this game? Who is to know? One thing is clear: this reaction is an illusion. The truth is different.
It is utterly irrelevant whether this mission is approved with or without status neutral condition, with or without UN mandate of Resolution 1244. EULEX was up until yesterday the greatest enemy of Serbia, but today it is its greatest friend. Doesn’t this show a consistency in Serbian government behavior – to cloak its defeats under a cover of a victory? Yes – is the answer at a first sight, but on the other side Serbia is wining points for EU membership.
That which Kosovo has gained is that EULEX is being implemented in its north. It is taking back the government institutions and taking out parallel institutions of Serbia. EULEX mission will apply the laws of Kosovo. This is a miraculously kept secret by the Serbian officials.
The courts in the north will be Kosovo courts and will apply laws legislated in the Kosovo Parliament. Maybe the court judges will be Europeans or local Serbs, but this is in the interest of Kosovo and peace. The customs will be taken over by EULEX, which will apply UN or EU laws or maybe Kosovo laws, if they have them. Maybe those laws will be called EULEX laws. Where is the problem in this picture? Nowhere. It is better than Serbian controlled institutions. Eventually, all these will be handed down to Kosovo institutions.
The brilliant act of the US diplomacy consists in packaging all these and stamping it with Ban Ki-moon’s name. Thus begins the second phase: the implementation of the decision approved by the UN Security Council. This decision was watered down after taking into consideration all parties involved, and was left for a wide interpretation. The US interprets it, as Mr. Fried said: - as a temporary and not at all status neutral. Kosovo has a chance to show itself as a serious party and embrace the interpretation of Kosovo closest ally and learn from this excellent diplomacy worthy for study books. This diplomatic storm should be a lesson for Kosovo diplomatic service.
Comments (3)
Kujtimk
said:
 |
... With do respect to the author this article is full of cr*p. Status resolution and Ahtisaari plan, promised to give clarity to the people of Kosovo in order to start a normal life and begin working to address economic and social issues. Nine months after Decleration of Independence, we have UN SC Presidential Declaration that everybody interprets how they please. You have legal and adminitrative chaos on the ground with overlapping powers between Kosovo authorities, UN and EULEX and on top of that Serbia sponsored and activly supported paralel structures in Northern Kosovo and other serb enclaves. Where is clarity here for people of Kosovo. Instead of spending our energy on economy we'll be strugling countering Serbias attempts to undermine our statehood. Serbia's democratic changes are overstated and destructive potential underestimated. For the sake of peace people of Kosovo and people of Serbia need clarity not to allow a frozen conflict in EU backyard. Message should be clear to Serbia by EU, you can not apply for EU membership and undermine EULEX in Kosovo. EULEX can not be status neutral. EULEX is product of Ahtisaari plan, enshrined in Kosovo constitution that declares Kosovo as a independent and soverign state. Saying EULEX is status neutral is oxymoron. There is no EULEX without Independent Kosovo. |
Detkos
said:
 |
... Time will tell,but we can't be so certain that Serbia is wasting all that energy and money just to cover up or create an illusion to it's opponents within it's country.which in fackt they so clearly are expressing that their goal is to integrate in the EU so they can have more diplomatic power to defend Kosova as their so-called province of Serbia. We can't afford once again to let ourselfs to be selfindulged,just like we did after the independence,that so- called created illusion from the serbian side it can also be viewed as the other way around.So that's also another diplomatic lesson for Kosova diplomatic service. |
Artani
said:
 |
... "Diplomatic brilliance" by Mentor Nimani is, in and of itself, brilliant. I agree with his points and wish that KosovaReports will post more in-depth analyses as this one. Foreign Ministry of Kosovo needs people like Mentor to mentor its current diplomatic choir. Kudos. |
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