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Spanish Presidency adds to Kosovo confusion 

Wed, 2010-01-27 08:45

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose country holds
the rotating presidency of the EU, yesterday (26 January) added to the
confusion over the status of Kosovo. The former Serbian province is
recognised by most European countries as an independent state, but not
by Madrid.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels yesterday, Moratinos appeared to
take the side of his Serbian colleague Vuk Jeremic, who underlined
divisions between EU member countries over Kosovo. Spain is among those
EU countries not to have recognised the Balkan state (see
'Background'). 

Jeremic, who came to Brussels to follow-up on his country's application
to join the EU, presented just before Christmas (  HYPERLINK
"http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/serbia-aims-beat-eu-entry-speed-
record/article-188519" \t "_blank"  EurActiv 04/01/10 ), said his
country rejected an international plan to stabilise relations between
the Albanian majority and ethnic Serbs in Northern Kosovo. In the region
of Kosovska Mitrovica, a small Serbian minority lives largely in
ignorance of Pristina, instead maintaining close ties with Serbia. 

Jeremic said the plan amounted to an imposed decision. 

Give-and-take strategy  

The plan was drawn up by the chief of the International
Civilian Office in Kosovo (ICO), Dutch diplomat Peter Feith, who is the
EU's special representative in Kosovo (EUSR). The ICO is a body
established by countries that support Kosovo's independence, including
several EU countries and the USA. 

According to reports by Serbia's official Tanjug agency, which says it
has seen the plan, the ICO envisages a give-and-take strategy between
moving forward with Belgrade's EU membership bid and its
cooperation on phasing-out its assistance to Northern Kosovo. 

Belgrade should also be forced to stop discouraging Serbs in Kosovo from
voting in elections organised by Pristina, the document stated. The EU
rule-of-law mission EULEX should increase its visibility and presence in
the north and open an office there, the draft reportedly says. 

Multi-layer diplomacy 

According to his mandate as EUSR, Feith provides guidance to EULEX,
the largest civilian mission ever launched under the Common Security and
Defence Policy (CSDP). EULEX has a staff target of 3,200, with 1,950
international officials and 1,250 local staff. 

EULEX, whose initial objective was to take over from the UN's
post-conflict mission UNMIK, was put in place as a result of a
compromise whereby Western nations agreed to Serbia's demands that the
mission should be deployed with the blessing of the UN Security Council
and that it would be "status neutral," meaning it would not make
Kosovo's spilt from Serbia official and would not implement the UN's
Ahtisaari plan (  HYPERLINK
"http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/eu-kosovo-mission-finally-tr
ack-us-joins/article-176723" \t "_blank"  EurActiv 28/10/08 ). 

As EUSR, Feith has a mandate to represent all EU countries, including
Spain. In addition to the institutions cited, the European Commission
has a liaison office in Kosovo. 

Moratinos responded to his Serbian counterpart by saying that the
Spanish Presidency was working in "a pragmatic and constructive manner
in Northern Kosovo," thereby admitting that the international community
had limited leverage in the Serbian-populated region. 

In the meantime, the Serbian authorities in Kosovska Mitrovica have
reportedly rejected plans to hold local elections, envisaged under
Peter Feith's plan. 

But if Moratinos can be seen as standing at one extreme of the EU's
Kosovo diplomacy, many EU countries consider Feith to be at the
other. He is proving to be a controversial choice for the Balkan job,
diplomats told EurActiv.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008,
nine years after the end of the 1999 war between Belgrade's security
forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas. In the following years, Kosovo
became an international protectorate under a UN mandate, patrolled by
NATO peacekeepers. 

After its proclaimed independence, the two million-strong republic, 90%
of which is composed of ethnic Albanians, has established many of the
trappings of statehood, including a new constitution. 

More than 50 countries have recognised Kosovo, including the US and most
EU members (except Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia). Serbia,
backed by Russia, is staunchly opposed to Kosovo's independence. 

The EU decided in February 2008 to deploy a rule of law mission, dubbed
'EULEX Kosovo', with the intention of taking over post-crisis management
in the territory, which lies on the European continent. The aim of the
operation is to assist and support the Kosovo authorities with the rule
of law, specifically regarding the police, the judiciary and customs. 

However, EULEX is hardly effective in Northern Kosovo, where a small
Serbian minority lives. On 15 November 2009, Kosovo held its first
elections since declaring independence. Ethnic Serbs were divided on
whether to attend the polls.