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No 57 ● February 2010

Consolidation of State and Belgrade’s Response

After independence declaration percent in believe this would Kosovo entered the phase of state become true in foreseeable future. consolidation. While trying to prevent Historian Cedomir Antic holds it only it at any cost, official Belgrade logical when it comes to Albanians. 1 channeled all its diplomatic energy In fact, by showing understanding for into lobbying against Kosovo’s Albanians’ aspirations Belgrade wants international recognition. Its turning to strengthen its argumentation for to the International Court of Justice Serbs’ demands: for an advisory opinion about the (as well as for similar feelings when it legality of Kosovo’s independence is comes to Republika Srpska). meant for the same purpose. What Belgrade really wants to achieve is a fresh round of negotiations with Prishtina, which would hopefully result in Kosovo’s partition: the Northern Kosovo would go to Serbia. Therefore, Serbian media have been more and more playing on the thesis about the Greater Albania. They are invoking the findings of a Gallup poll showing that the great majority of Kosovo Albanians (70 percent) take that Kosovo and Albania This is about a decades-long strategic should unite, whereas 47.3 percent of goal. However, after 1999 Belgrade interviewees in Kosovo and 39.5 shifted the focus of that goal to

1 http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Tema- Dana/38648/Kosovo-paravan-za-pljacku- drzave Northern Kosovo and prevention of its treated as ‘essentially autonomous,’” integration. This shift is evident in a writes Stojanovic. 3 number of writings of the so-called Serb national strategists. So, Dobrica Cosic acknowledges that Kosovo and “are lost” and claims that the Serbian National Assembly “loses, without a word of protest, the 46- kilometer ethnic territory of Serbia bordering on the River and the biggest Serbian mountain, Mt. .” At some locations Albanians are annexing the Serb ethnic territory till the border between Serbia and Turkey valid till the Berlin Congress in 1878, while “Serbs say nothing and dream of without frontiers,” says Cosic. 2 The latest article by Svetozar Stojanovic, a key national strategist, is most illustrative in this context. Stojanovic confirms the plan for Kosovo’s partition, emphasizing, “To all intends and purposes, further integration of the densely Serb As it turned out, Belgrade managed to populated part of Kosmet into Serbia convince the West that Serb as Serbs’ motherland is the most nationalists were undermining the important task of all.” “That means government through the Kosovo issue. not,” continues Stojanovic, “that we The West has never asked Serbia to should stop insisting on integration of recognize Kosovo and has turned a the entire Kosovo and Metohija into blind eye to many of its Serbia, on safety for our population in inconsequence. In fact, the enclaves surrounded by Albanians, on international community – US and EU the search for our missing in the first place – has tolerated compatriots, return of internally Serbia’s foreign policy as it believed displaced persons and refugees, that Serbia’s Foreign Minister was safeguard of churches, monasteries shielding President Boris Tadic from and cultural monuments and on Serb nationalists with his Kosovo restitution of our usurped property or rhetoric. That’s mostly why the at least on compensation for it.” “This international community swallowed should be called the policy for division Serbia’s initiative before UN for an of control over Kosovo rather than for advisory opinion on Kosovo’s Kosovo’s territorial partition. It would independence from the International be worthwhile to give thought to an Court of Justice – it assumed that the amendment to Serbia’s Constitution, motion as such implied that the whereby the densely Serb populated part would be directly integrated into Serbia, whereas the by far bigger part of Kosovo and Metohija would be

3 Svetozar Stojanovic, www.nspm.rs January 24, 2010. 2 Pecat, February 5, 2010. question of Kosovo would be taken off counterproductive for all regional the political agenda. 4 actors, including Serbia, and a waste However, warnings about of everyone’s time. And that’s exactly Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic’s what Serb nationalists are actually arrogant behavior are more and more trying to accomplish: to slow down the frequent. The latest was sent by Jelko process of EU integration. Jeremic’s Kacin, special rapporteur for Serbia of behavior is illustrative of that. the European Parliament. Kacin However, Albanians in South criticized Jeremic’s statement that in Serbia responded to Belgrade’s anger the process of Serbia’s EU accession at Kosovo strategy on north “a ball is in EU’s yard now.” “This is integration. President of Kosovo not about a football game but about Assembly said, “Serbs Serbia’s future,” said Kacin, adding, from Northern Kosovo who are after “EU is not trying to join Serbia but secession should know that Albanians the other way round.” “As long as Mr. from Bujanovac and Presevo are also Minister takes that his duty consists ready to integrate into Kosovo.” of commenting a football game, he According to him, the exchange of cannot be up to the task of a foreign territories “should be agreed on and minister of a country after EU carried out not only in cooperation accession,” said Kacin. 5 with local Serbs but also in tandem with Belgrade politicians.” 6 This indicates that Belgrade – keeping South Serbia under permanent control – will be facing new challenges from the territory it has always considered strategically significant. Milorad Ekmecic, historian and strategist of the Bosnian war, says that whoever controls the Presevo Valley controls Macedonia and has hegemony over the Balkans.

Northern Kosovo and parallel

institutions Jeremic was criticized even more sharply for having withdrawn Serbia’s Ambassador in Podgorica Parallel institutions established in when Montenegro established North Kosovo have been the biggest diplomatic relations with Kosovo and challenge to the consolidation of for his acid comments about Croatian Kosovo’s statehood. They have been President Mesic’s visit to Prishtina on notably strengthened at the time of January 8, 2010. Vojislav Kostunica’s premiership in The international community 2004-08. Kostunica’s cabinet disapproved Serbia’s attempt to arbitrate regional relations: such attitude was seen as 6 www.B92.net , February 10, 2010.

4 waz.euobserver.com. 5 http://www.srbijanet.rs/vesti/vesti-iz- zemlje/43377-kacin-kritikovao-vuka- jeremica.html . abundantly subsidized these parallel declaration in February 2008. Apart structures and these subsidies were from Northern Mitrovica – that has never subjected to inspection. The been and still is a strategic point for “Kosovo budget” was classified as top Kosovo partition – Serbia made secret till 2010 and, as such, sourced considerable investment in some corruption. The funds set aside for enclaves south of the Ibar River, Kosovo were spent at will. 7 The particularly those in the Strpci Serbian government’s decision in municipality, including the Brezovica 2010 to additionally cut the budget ski center. For ten years now for Kosovo (some 40 million Euros Northern Mitrovica has been no man’s were set aside this year) testifies that land – neither Serbia’s nor Kosovo’s Serbia is incapable of financing its laws are respected over there. With Kosovo policy: in other words, it uncontrolled border between Northern cannot subsidize parallel institutions Mitrovica and Serbia on the one hand, and have the individuals working and dysfunctional judiciary and the towards Kosovo’s partition on its police on the other, Northern payroll. Mitrovica became a major center of Parallel institutions in North corruption and organized crime in the Kosovo survived independence Balkans.

Pro-European government and 7. For decades Kosovo has been used as a Kosovo pretext for robbing Serbia’s citizens. Fictitious projects and investments have been used for robbing the state budget. For instance, the Serbia’s incumbent pro-European fictititous project for cleaning the Gracanka River basin cost Serbia 11,7 million RSD and government (formed in May 2008) there is no telling where the moneys went. visibly changed the Kosovo policy. Actually, someone simply copied the project Though Kosovo still ranks high at its already elaborated by the Kosovo government, foreign policy agenda, Serbia has added the term ’restoration’ just in case, and submitted it for the consideration of the made several strategic and technical Serbian government. In early 2007 the Serbian steps vis-à-vis Kosovo. First of all, it government approved the project and paid out developed a sort of exit strategy by the funds for its implementation. With the transferring the status issue to the same moneys individuals were then buying themselves apartments and other property in International Court of Justice. Serbia, financed partisan activities, etc. Further, in 2009 President Tadic and According to Goran Arsic, head of Kosovo the government (with Socialist Party district, reconstruction of the 5-kilometer road of Serbia as a coalition partner) between Laplje Selo and Gracanica was charged 63.7 million RSD despite the fact that signed a crucial document – the the same road had been ’reconstructed’ several agreement between the Ministry of the times. In the Kosovo Polje municipality, 12.5 Interior /MUP/ and EULEX. The million RSD were charged for several hundred agreement de facto recognized the meters of sewers in the village of Kuzmin, and (international) border with Kosovo 12.302 million for 2-kilometer sewers in the village of Batuse (one meter of sewers costs 30 given that it provided customs and Euros at most). security control. http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Tema- Serbia’s application for EU Dana/38648/Kosovo-paravan-za-pljacku- drzave . candidacy gives everything a different perspective. For, once it becomes a formal candidate Serbia will probably move further towards accepting the realities. The MUP-EULEX agreement fundamentally changes the balance of power given that it obliges Serbia to The document titled “Strategy for make concessions. Northern Kosovo” quotes, among The parallel structures are still other things, that the establishment in place. However, the problem of a separate municipality Northern actually begun solving by itself after Kosovska Mitrovica is the most local elections held on November 15 important measure in Prishtina’s throughout Kosovo except in Northern endeavor to take control over the Mitrovica. The turnout of the Serb North. The document focuses the community was considerable despite advantages of decentralization for all obstructions. And a turnout as Serbs in the North – “advantages in such additionally questioned the everyday life” that may help to anyway inoperative parallel overcome the biggest problem: “the institutions. So it happened that after feeling that the establishment of a ten years of parallel governance in the new municipality of Northern Srpci municipality a new local Mitrovica implies recognition of leadership came to power rather Kosovo independence.” The document smoothly. The local self-government also suggests that Prishtina should was formed by Independent Liberal “strongly support the Serbs ready to Party and Hashim Thachi’s cooperate” and financially assist Democratic Party of Kosovo. Serb “moderate political factors in North Branislav Nikolic was elected mayor of Kosovo.” Strpci (the municipality in which According to the make 70 percent out of total government’s plan, the municipality of population). Only a day before, Goran Northern Kosovska Mitrovica will Bogdanovic, member of the Serbian become operative after municipal cabinet, was forced to leave the elections scheduled for May 2010. territory of Kosovo because of The document envisages disrespect for the prescribed prompt preparations for formation of procedure and political engagement. the municipality: International Official Belgrade’s reaction to Civilian Office /ICO/ shall appoint a Serbs’ turnout in the local elections preparatory team and open its office was rather mild. Only some in the Bosnjacka Mahala settlement of opposition leaders commented the U- Northern Mitrovica, populated by turn in the Strpci municipality, Serbs and Albanians alike; the same whereas officials of the ruling premises shall house an office for coalition hardly said anything despite communities of the Kosovo the fact that the municipality had government and work towards been treated as most significant for its empowerment of these bodies. economic potential. In response to Minister Bogdanovic’s expulsion from Kosovo on the grounds of illegal entry the Serbian Premier just invited some ambassadors to a consultive meeting and handed them a formal demarche.

Strategy for North Kosovo integration

The international community formulated a plan for North Kosovo’s integration into Kosovo institutions. The Strategy also plans the not the same as Gracanica and ’s stronger presence in Strpci.” 8 For his part, Minister for the North, setting up of courts and Kosovo and Metohija Goran taking over the control over two Bogdanovic said the announced borders crossings with Serbia. strategy for integration of the Serb Following a successful integration of community was unacceptable to it the Northern Kosovska Mitrovica and led to destabilization of the municipality into Kosovo system, North. 9 another three municipalities in the Indicatively, Defense Minister North with majority Serb population – Dragan Sutanovac commented, “Any Zvecani, Leposavic and Zubin Potok – strategy that implies not the will be integrated by a similar cooperation with non-Albanian mechanism, say authors of the population and imposes solutions on documents. the municipalities where Serbs are in Official Belgrade that “supports the majority is unwelcome.” However, parallel institutions and exerts he emphasized, “We are closely pressure on Kosovo Serbs to refrain following the situation, as well as them from partaking in Kosovo other developments in the North. I system” is the biggest stumbling bloc believe the problem would be in the way of the strategy’s overcome solely by diplomatic implementation, quotes the means.”10 Minister Sutanovac’s document. According to its authors, statement testifies of official economic crisis in Serbia plays into Belgrade’s caution and hints at the the hands of the integration plan possibility of its cooperativeness in given that it forced the Serbian the case of Northern Kosovo. government to cut down the budget The meeting the Assembly of for Kosovo Serbs. Serb “parallel” Serbs from Kosovo convened in institutions that do not recognize the tandem with the Serb Orthodox government in Prishtina need to be Church on February 4, 2010 in marginalized, UNMIK offices closed Kosovska Mitrovica strongly rejected down, while EU presence Peter Feith and Hashim Thachi’s plan strengthened through EULEX, they for “integration of Northern part of say. Further, EULEX should open Kosovo and Metohija. Participants in offices in the North and engage more the meeting said they expected interpreters, drivers and other staff Belgrade to defend Serb national from the ranks of Kosovo Serbs so as interests in Kosovo and strengthen to improve its communication with the parallel institutions defying the the Serb community. international community’s plans. 11 They demanded the Serbian Belgrade’s reaction to the Strategy 8 www.b92.net . 9 http://www.e-novine.com/region/region- Official Belgrade’s strong opposition to kosovo/34271-Odbacena-strategija-sever.html . the Strategy indicates that it has not 10 www.blic.rs given up yet the plan for Northern 11 www.e- Kosovo’s integration into Serbia. State novine.com. Secretary for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said, “The international community should be more careful when taking measures for the North given that Mitrovica is parliament to adopt a resolution on Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia. Marko Jaksic, vice-president of the Assembly of Municipal Communities in Kosovo and Metohija, said, “Kosovo cannot be independent without Belgrade’s assistance.” Bishop Artemije strongly criticized official Belgrade for “dividing Serbs in Kosovo.” Representatives of Democratic Party of Serbia /DSS/, New Serbia /NS/ and Serb Radical Party /SRS/, Milos Aligrudic, Velimir Ilic and Dragan Todorovic, Serbian officials, however, rejected the participated in the meeting. They plan for integration and called it actually represented Serbia’s dangerous for regional stability. conservative bloc that uses the Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic integration strategy for mobilizing said that Serbia did not recognize the Serbs against the government and International Steering Group and coercing early parliamentary considered it illegal and its elections. conclusions meaningless. 13 Commenting the Vienna meeting, Kosovo government’s and ICO’s State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic said intensive preparation for Serbs that Peter Feith was „rigging“the integration results attained in Kosovo and trying to present himself as a more successful man than he actually was. The International Steering Group for According to him, unilateral decisions Kosovo (encompassing the countries by individuals or groups of countries that have recognized Kosovo) backed would not make UNMIK withdraw the plan for integration of Northern from Kosovo as the UN Resolution Kosovo into Prishtina institutions that 1244 was still in force. „Such a has been put forward by the decision cannot be made in the UN International Civil Office. At its Security Council and, in my view, meeting in Vienna on February 8, Peter Feith should start thinking 2010, ISC urged all sides, including about getting himself another job.“ 14 Serbia, to „play a constructive role in this important process so as to ensure Dusan Janjic of the Forum for better living conditions in Northern Interethnic Relations, commenting the Kosovo.“ The meeting also concluded strategy, called Peter Feith “a that „a considerable progress“ has lobbyist” for Prishtina’s bigger been made in the implementation of influence on the entire territory of Ahtisaari’s plan for Kosovo and that Kosovo. “Belgrade should not be Kosovo’s territorial integrity was concerned with Feith and raise his „closely connected with regional ratings as it had raised James Lyon’s stability. “ 12 but finally start a dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija with Brussels. Serbia should do its best to have the European Commission dealing with

13 Ibid. 12 www.B92.net , February 8, 2010. 14 Politika, February 9. 2010. Kosovo rather than Feith, who for the protection of religious and threatens with preconditioning cultural monuments, including Serbia’s membership of EU with Eastern Orthodox monasteries, recognition of Kosovo,” said Janjic. 15 churches and other historical “Feith is by far more dangerous in monuments. Quoting sources from Brussels than in Kosovo and NATO, the Prishtina-based daily in Metohija. He gives voice to what the Albanian “Koha Ditora” claims the majority in EU thinks: that Belgrade’s Gazimestan monument would be on policy is in crisis. This, due to the KSF priority list. Since 1999 when crisis of EU’s policy for Kosovo, opens NATO forces came to Kosovo all major the door to Brussels for imposing on monuments of Serbian culture and Belgrade a choice between EU and history have been under the Kosovo. One should expect some protection of KFOR. member-states to soon precondition Kosovo Serbs, however, say Belgrade’s membership with that KSF is still not capacitated for recognition of Kosovo. And Belgrade protecting Serb monasteries the more should respond with a counterthesis: so since “security conditions” are not no doubt that we are joining the the same at all locations. Some Union but by the Cyprian model. It monasteries such as, say, Gracanica, seems that this is what Foreign are in the places where their believers, Minister Vuk Jeremic is trying to Serbs, live, they underline. accomplish,” explains Janjic. 16 The Kosovo government Peter Feith has already granted 2.1 million Euros to several appointed 14 members of the major projects in the municipalities of Preparatory Team for Northern Strpci and Gracanica. The Mitrovica to explore resources, means government is more and more trying and administrative structure to answer the needs of displaced necessary for smooth functioning of Serbs. Among other things, it the new municipality. He also organizes their visits to Eastern announced the establishment of a TV Orthodox graveyards. Serbs’ return to channel to broadcast in minority Kosovo is also organized smoothly. So, languages, as well as a special TV in for instance, seventeen returnee Serbian. Article 3, Annex 2, of the families from Serbia have been given Ahtisaari plan provides, “Kosovo shall keys to new apartments in Laplje take all measures necessary to secure Selo. Under the project another 36 an international frequency plan to families internally displaced within allow Kosovo Serb community access Kosovo will be housed. According to to a licensed Kosovo-wide UNHCR, some 20,000 displaced independent persons and refugees have returned to television channel.” Kosovo up to now. According to the plan, Kosovo security forces /KSF/ should be responsible International actors and consolidation of Kosovo state

15 Press, January 26, 2010. 16 Danas, February 3, Serbia’s strategy for Kosovo had 2010. considerably relied on Russia and its support, notably after it placed the Kosovo issue on the UN agenda. However, there is obviously another dimension to Russian support, which Serbia hardly takes into account: Russia may easily stop supporting According to most analysts, Serbia as it searches for a modus this threat actually blackmails Serbia. vivendi with US and EU. Russia On the other hand, it may be Russia’s actually changes the mode of its exit strategy from the situation that support to Serbia according to disturbs its relations with NATO and circumstances. So Russian Standing EU. Representative with NATO Dmitry The announced visit to Kosovo Rogozin said Serbia would have to by US Secretary of State Hillary give up Kosovo should it want to join Clinton indicates that US is raising NATO – and then, he added, Russia the tempo of its policy for Kosovo’s would also have to reconsider its consolidation and will not treat attitude towards Kosovo as they Belgrade “meddling” in Northern /Russians/ “cannot be bigger Serbs Kosovo with indulgence. The fact the than Serbs themselves.” representatives of Kosovo Serbs were Rogozin also said, “All NATO invited to President Obama’s National member-states have not recognized Prayer Breakfast also testify of US Kosovo. This refers to Spain, Greece, concern with the Western Balkans. Rumania and Slovakia. However, under international law and NATO statute such a situation does not hinder Serbia’s membership of NATO. Given that the majority NATO states will not change their stances, Alliance can accept Serbia into its ranks but only within Serbia’s ‘new’ borders – without Kosovo.” Belgrade will have to formally recognize sovereignty of Prishtina, which will subsequently change Madrid’s and Moscow’s stances, he stressed. 17

17 Blic, February 4, 2010. EU strategy for consolidation of The international community has Kosovo statehood has been sped up its activities for Kosovo’s productive so far. Serbia’s further stabilization and consolidation. movement towards Euro-Atlantic This is a new challenge for the integrations will be surely Serbian government. The conditioned with its acceptance of government should not miss the Kosovo realities. opportunity for demonstrating its cooperativeness given that the time of Belgrade’s blackmail and Formal recognition of Kosovo is not manipulation is running out. on the table yet. However, cooperation with Kosovo, through regional cooperation, is gradually imposed on Serbia as a precondition. If it wants to obtain the status of EU candidate, Serbia will have to manifest more flexibility about Kosovo: it will have to provide support to the functioning of Kosovo institutions.

The international community’s attitude towards President Tadic and the ruling coalition in Serbia can be summed up as follows, “Such dynamics should be created to enable Belgrade to reach a face- saving solution, whereby the support to parallel structures would be reduced and ultimately ended on the one hand, and (Serbia’s) movement towards EU accelerated on the other.” 18

18 http://www.rtv.rs/sr_lat/politika/sever- kosova:-obustaviti-podrsku--sacuvati- obraz_170079.html