change font size

print version

copyright

Other languages:

Life in Kosovo debates Kosovo’s diplomacy

02 10 2008  This week’s Life in Kosovo show debated Kosovo’s diplomacy.

Most of the discussion focused on what the consequences will be for Kosovo if Serbia’s resolution passes at the United Nations. Who will win the diplomatic tussle at the United Nations? Why have the Serbs been more successful at lobbying against independence? Why isn’t anybody taking care of the “NEWBORN” statue, which symbolizes Kosovo’s independence?

The panel consisted of:

Lulzim Mjeku – general director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ;
Rexhep Boja – former head of the Islamic Community of Kosovo ;
Haki Abazi – of the “Rockefeller Brothers” foundation ;
Besnik Tahiri – spokesman of the Alliance for Kosovo’s Future, AAK ;
Fisnik Ismaljli – of OGILVY company in Kosovo ;

As the UN vote on Serbia’s resolution to seek the International Court of
Justice’s opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s independence approaches,
Mjeku argued that the Foreign Ministry has been carefully monitoring
Kosovo-related developments in Serbia.

Noting that actions taken by Serbia to oppose Kosovo’s independence
have generally been limited to threats, Mjeku said that the International
Court of Justice, ICJ, doesn’t hand down verdicts affecting states. Rather,
it offers opinions on political problems.

Asked who will win the diplomatic and judicial battle, Mjeku said that whenever
Serbia has tried to resolve issues on Kosovo by judicial means, it has lost.

Mjeku said that Serbia was doing its job by taking its case to the world’s
highest judicial body – the ICJ, and we can not expect from them to do
anything else but this. Asked what Kosovo diplomats are doing to counter
Serbian diplomatic efforts, he said that Kosovo is endeavouring with its allies
to ensure that the Serbian UN initiative fails.

Mjeku also pointed out that the ICJ’s opinion is not binding and cannot dictate
decisions of sovereign states that have already decided to recognize Kosovo,
though he acknowledged that an ICJ opinion could create confusion among
states that have not yet recognised Kosovo, including Montenegro and Macedonia.

According to Mjeku, some states might delay recognition of Kosovo until after
the ICJ has issued its decision.

Asked whether the Opposition has taken any concrete steps to face the
challenges arising from Serbia’s initiative, Tahiri said his party had adopted a
proactive policy of informing public opinion and institutions about the seriousness
of the issue.

“We have drafted a letter that will be sent to all foreign ministers before
October 8 (the date when the Serbian initiative will be voted on at the UN)
explaining the grounds for Kosovo’s declaration of independence,” Thairi said.

Reacting to Tahiri’s comment that this should have been the government’s task,
Mjeku noted that Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni had visited the UN in New
York to lobby for independence.

Mjeku said Minister Hyseni and three counsellors had held around 100 meetings
with diplomats of different countries, mainly those that have not recognized Kosovo.

Mjeku said that more states had not recognized Kosovo because it was impossible
to break iron principles of history in just six months.

Commenting on criticism of the Foreign Minister and the Ministry, Mjeku said
no one is satisfied with recognition by only 47 states but that the role of Serbia
in this issue has to be taken into account.

Boja, however, argued that Kosovo should have made a better case, presenting
evidence of Serbian malfeasance in Kosovo to the ICJ.

Asked why the Arab world has been reluctant to recognize Kosovo, despite
repeated indications that this would happen during Ramadan or soon afterwards,
Boja said Serbia, as the rumpYugoslavia, still maintains good relations with the
Arab countries.

Boja said that promises of recognition by Arab countries had not been given
by competent authorities.

Abazi said that Serbia had made use of all the tools at its disposal to place
obstacles in the way of Kosovo’s independence.

He said the Kosovo diplomatic service could have made better use of the world
sympathy for Kosovo that had been generated during the war.

“There is a lack of vision in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs either for precipitating
more recognition or for establishing diplomatic relations with states that have
already recognized Kosovo,” said Abazi.

Mjeku agreed in principle with Abazi, but pointed out that Kosovo is waiting
for ratification of the Constitution before opening diplomatic missions abroad.

However, Abazi noted that Montenegro had opened liaison offices abroad
9 months before it declared independence.

Mjeku said that Euro-Atlantic integration and lobbying for membership
in international organizations are the principal building blocks of Kosovo’s
fledgling diplomacy.

Besnik Tahiri said that Kosovo had failed in its diplomatic mission to
generate new recognition for the country.

He complained that six months after the declaration of independence,
Kosovo still doesn’t have a permanent diplomatic presence in all the
countries that have recognized the new country.

He called for a detailed program to lobby for Kosovo rather than simply
relying on ad hoc meetings in the corridors of the UN building.

Abazi said that Kosovo had passed up an opportunity to lobby among the
members of the Conference of the African Union, which had been addressed
by the Serbian President and Foreign Minister.

Ismajli said little had been done to promote Kosovo, and that much more
should have been done to build on the sympathy that Kosovo enjoyed around
the world.

A report prepared by Jeta Abazi on the “NEWBORN” statute in the centre
of Pristina showed that the statute, which symbolizes the new country, has
become a magnet for graffiti and posters.

Fisnik Ismalji from the company behind the statue said he was concerned
about the statue’s location. He said that even graffiti represents an expression
of opinion, but he called on the authorities to put the statue on a plinth, as has
been the practice with other statues.

Returning to the issue of Serbia’s UN initiative, Mjeku said he was
optimistic that the resolution would not pass. However, he warned
that if it does it would slow down the process of securing recognition.

Asked whether Kosovo diplomacy is pro-European or pro-American,
Mjeku said the overall strategy is based on EU integration.

Abazi insisted that Kosovo diplomacy should be neither pro-American
nor pro- European, but pro-Kosovo. He said Kosovo must start thinking
more about its own capabilities.

On Kosovo’s strategic approach to the Arab world, Abazi said countries
should be divided into three groups: those that have recognized Kosovo;
those that are undecided; and those that have declined to recognize Kosovo.

He said a proper strategy to deal with each group could then be developed.

Boja said that Arab countries would not be swayed by religious factors
when it came to recognition, and the criteria would be predominantly political.

Islamjli said that the € 3 million allocated by the government to promote
Kosovo in the international media was insufficient.

He said that Kosovo should be brought to the attention of the international
public, and that the legality of its independence should be explained.

Highlight of the week:

Devolli Company – Vita foundation is helping orphans. From each Milk
Vita, 3 Euro-cents is allocated to help orphans from 90 families in four
communities.

Company manager Valon Shall said that € 5,000 had been collected in
just one month and that this money would be distributed to 90 families.

“The selection of families to receive aid was done with the cooperation of
the Kosovo Police Service in Peja and Decan,” Jeton Krasniqi from the
non-governmental organization “Visioni Shekulli 21” said.

Aid has been distributed to families in Peja, Decan, Istog and Klina,
and more aid will be distributed to other communities in coming weeks.

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television,
RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is
broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.