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Serbia and Kosovo Reach Agreement on Power-Sharing
Serbia and Kosovo Reach Agreement on Power-Sharing
(34 minutes later)
PARIS — Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement on Friday aimed at overcoming ethnic enmities in the former Serbian province, a milestone that could enhance stability in the region and help clear the path for their eventual membership in the European Union.
PARIS — After months of difficult negotiations, Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement Friday aimed at overcoming ethnic enmities in Kosovo, a former Serbian province, a milestone that officials hope will enhance stability in the region and clear a path for both countries to eventually join the European Union.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told reporters that the prime ministers of both countries had initialed an agreement during talks in Brussels, marking the end of six months of often heated negotiations.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told reporters that the prime ministers of the two countries had initialed an agreement during talks in Brussels. “It is very important that now what we are seeing is a step away from the past and, for both of them, a step closer to Europe,” she said.
European Union countries meeting Monday in Brussels will decide whether to give Serbia the go-ahead to start negotiations for its entry into the bloc, and analysts said the accord was likely to swing a decision in Serbia’s favor.
Serbian officials said the accord was subject to approval by “state bodies” in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. But European officials said it was unlikely that Serbia would backtrack.
Under the agreement, Serbs in the small majority-Serb area in northern Kosovo will gain more autonomy in return for the Serbian government’s recognizing the authority of the Kosovo government.
The European Union is scheduled to meet Monday in Brussels to decide whether to allow Serbia to start negotiations for entry into the group, and analysts said the accord was likely to swing the decision in Serbia’s favor.
Misha Glenny, a leading Balkan expert, said the potent symbolism of Serbs and ethnic Albanians casting aside their differences could help spur regional reconciliation, in particular in ethnically divided Bosnia, where lingering divisions have impeded progress. “This remarkable deal demonstrates that the Balkans, once known as the powder keg of Europe, can change and develop in a positive direction,” he said.
The agreement hinged on how much autonomy Kosovo was willing to cede to Serb municipalities in the north, in return for Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo’s authority in the area. Until now, Serbia has had de facto control over the small Serb-majority area in the north, which does not recognize Kosovo’s authority.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, nearly a decade after NATO bombs helped push out forces under the Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic. For Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians, independence was the culmination of a bloody struggle for self-determination after a brutal ethnic civil war with Serbia.
Tensions have lingered since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO bombs helped push out the forces of the Serbian strongman, Slobodan Milosevic. For Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian Muslim majority, independence was the culmination of a struggle for self-determination after a brutal ethnic civil war with Serbia.
Serbia, whose medieval kingdom was centered on Kosovo, had resolutely refused to recognize Kosovo as independent, arguing that the declaration breached international law and would spur secessionism everywhere.
Kosovo is now recognized by more than 90 countries, including the United States and a majority of nations in the European Union. But five member countries, including Spain and Cyprus, have refused to recognize Kosovo.
Kosovo, an impoverished majority-Muslim country of two million with endemic corruption, is recognized by more than 90 countries, including the United States and a majority of Europe. But five European Union countries, including Spain and Cyprus, have refused to recognize Kosovo. Serbia’s staunch ally Russia, a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, has blocked Kosovo’s membership in that body, a major hurdle to its economic and political progress.
Serbia has also refused to recognize Kosovo, arguing that its independence declaration breached international law. Serbia’s staunch ally, Russia, has blocked Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations, a hurdle to its economic and political progress.
The accord conspicuously omits any recognition by Belgrade of Kosovo’s independence. But analysts said that the agreement was nevertheless a geopolitical breakthrough after decades of conflict between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.
Under the agreement, municipal bodies in the Serb-majority north will retain autonomy in matters like health care and education. In return, the police and courts will apply the Kosovo central government’s laws. The Serbian municipalities will be able to appoint a regional police chief.
For the beleaguered European Union, struggling with a crisis in the euro zone, the accord is an important diplomatic victory. Ms. Ashton played a critical role, pushing both sides to cast aside envoys in favor of face-to-face talks and cajoling former sworn enemies to compromise.
Petrit Selimi, Kosovo’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said Kosovo agreed not to deploy its security forces in the Serbian region for an unspecified number of years, except during emergencies like earthquakes. Even in that event, a senior NATO official said, the security forces would need authorization from NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo.
“The incentive of joining the E.U. played a huge role in clinching an agreement,” said Petrit Selimi, Kosovo’s deputy minister of foreign affairs. “The black hole in the region has been Serbia’s relationship with Kosovo.”
Analysts said the deal had been made possible, in part because of the nationalist credentials of the respective leaders in the talks, including Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo, a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who told reporters that the agreement would “help heal wounds of the past.”
The agreement hinged on how much autonomy Pristina was willing to cede to Kosovo’s Serbian minority in return for greater cooperation from Belgrade. Belgrade has retained de facto control over a small Serb-majority area in northern Kosovo, where until now the Serbs have lived in isolated enclaves that do not recognize Pristina’s authority.
Even so, Mr. Thaci is despised by many Serbs for his role in the war. His Serbian counterpart, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, was the wartime spokesman of Mr. Milosevic, who died in jail in 2006.
Under the agreement, municipal structures in Serb-majority northern Kosovo will attain greater autonomy — over everything from health care to education — in return for Belgrade’s greater cooperation with Pristina.
The accord conspicuously omits any Serbian recognition of Kosovo’s independence. But analysts said the agreement was nevertheless a breakthrough.
Mr. Selimi said that under the deal, police forces and courts in the north of Kosovo would apply the laws of Kosovo. However, he said Serbian municipalities in the north would have the right to appoint a police chief. He said Serbia had committed not to block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, though he emphasized it was not clear whether this included the United Nations, where Belgrade has vehemently opposed Pristina’s membership.
For the European Union, struggling with a string of crises, the accord is also an important victory. “The incentive of joining the E.U. played a huge role in clinching an agreement,” said Mr. Selimi, the Kosovar deputy minister.
He said Kosovo had agreed that its security forces would not be deployed in the Serbian northern part of the country for a number of years, unless there was an emergency or natural disaster, in which case its forces could be stationed, but only in coordination with NATO troops.
Misha Glenny, a leading Balkans expert, said the symbolism of Serbs and ethnic Albanians casting aside their differences could help spur regional reconciliation, in particular in ethnically divided Bosnia.
Analysts said the deal had been made possible in part because of the former nationalist credentials of the respective leaders in the talks.
Kosovo’s prime minister, Hashim Thaci, is despised by many Serbs for his years as a guerrilla commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought the war in the 1990s. His Serbian counterpart, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, was the wartime spokesman of Mr. Milosevic, who was overthrown in 2000 and died in jail in 2006 while being tried for crimes against humanity.
For Serbia, an agreement means that it is likely to attract much-needed foreign investment, in addition to starting European Union acccession talks. For Kosovo, the ending of uncertainty over its borders will also help improve investor confidence and buttress its legitimacy as an independent country.
But critics in both Serbia and Kosovo have expressed deep-seated anger about the agreement, and implementing it could face challenges.
Ahead of the deal, the Kosovo opposition movement Vetevendosje — “self-determination” in Albanian — said it planned mass demonstrations. “This deal does nothing to change the hearts and minds of Serbs who do not recognize Kosovo’s right to exist,” said Shpend Ahmeti, Vetevendosje’s vice president.
Speaking before an agreement was announced, Ljiljana Smajlovic, a leading Serbian commentator who is president of the Journalist’s Association in Belgrade, said that Serbian public opinion appeared to be resigned that a deal was inevitable.
“I am not convinced that this is a good trade-off,” she said, noting her fear that Serbia was making major concessions in return for the mere prize of attaining a date to begin accession talks. But she added: “I would have expected more anxiety. Serbian public opinion is surprisingly docile. I don’t expect large protests.”
