Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, after a long, bloody struggle for freedom that claimed thousands of lives. The nation now is making every effort to gain recognition globally in order to become a progressive country in the Balkans.
Kosovo has embarked on a diplomatic drive to be accepted in the comity of nations and also in global institutions. The country’s Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni was in the Kingdom this week. He met OIC Secretary-General Dr. Ekmeluddin Ihsanoglu and other officials and also performed Umrah.
The OIC chief reaffirmed the bloc’s support for the people of Kosovo and hoped that increased cooperation between the OIC and Kosovo would benefit Kosovars. The Kosovo minister, though disappointed at the slow pace of the OIC countries in granting recognition to independent Kosovo, expressed optimism that many of the countries would formally announce their support to Kosovo soon.
He also believes that the fledgling nation would get membership of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank by the end of next year. Hyseni is of the view that there is no comparison between what is happening in Georgia and Kosovo. He spoke to Arab News exclusively on wide-ranging issues and stressed that the Serbs are safe and secure in the new Albanian-dominated nation.
Excerpts from the interview:
Since attaining independence on Feb.17 this year, only 46 of the 192 UN countries have recognized Kosovo. Why is the response so slow and what is your government doing to garner more support? What is the response from the Muslim world in particular?
The response is not slow. After the enthusiastic reaction in the immediate wake of the declaration of independence, the recognition dynamics has taken a slower pace. Of course, we cannot be satisfied with the number of countries recognizing us as of now but we are doing our utmost to increase that number, as we need a critical threshold to enable Kosovo to safely apply and pursue a process of membership into various international organizations and structures. The government, and, in particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is engaged in an outreach campaign to mainly countries that have not yet granted recognition to gain their support.
Six member states of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) have so far recognized the independence of Kosovo. And we believe that it is only a matter of time and procedures as to when the rest of them will move toward recognizing our independence. The people of Kosovo have expected an early recognition of the independence of Kosovo by the Muslim countries, as many of them have generously supported Kosovo for so many years after the war.
Saudi Arabia announced in March that it would recognize Kosovo. What is the status now? Have you discussed this with the Saudi leadership? What was their response?
Saudi Arabia is a very important country, regionally and globally. As such, the recognition of our independence by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is of crucial importance. We have discussed the issue on many occasions with the Kingdom’s diplomatic representatives in various capitals. I can say that there are optimistic signs, as Saudi diplomats have demonstrated profound understanding of our goals.
What has the OIC done apart from just expressing solidarity with Kosovo? Are you satisfied with the OIC support? If not, then what is the reason behind it and is there any rift among OIC members on Kosovo?
The OIC is a prestigious international organization with which we intend to establish a close working relationship. The OIC has on certain occasions issued statements of solidarity with Kosovo. So far, six OIC member states have recognized Kosovo. And of course, for the sake of the truth, I have to say that we are not satisfied with the number of recognitions by OIC member states. But I do not think that there is any specific reason behind it and I certainly hope that there is no rift between the OIC members on Kosovo. I believe it is more a matter of time and procedures each and every country applies in the case of recognition of a new independent state. Let me take this opportunity to say how honored I was to meet the OIC Secretary-General Dr. Ekmeluddin Ihsanoglu. We had an excellent discussion and exchange of views on a wide range of topics related to Kosovo and the process of gaining recognition. I urged the OIC secretary-general to transmit the message of friendship and cooperation of Kosovo to all the OIC member states, urging their support for Kosovo in the challenges ahead of us, such as the forthcoming UN General Assembly session this fall.
You recently met the IMF delegation and have applied for its membership as well as the membership of the World Bank. When do you expect it to materialize?
Yes, I had the privilege of meeting recently with the IMF delegation, which came to Kosovo on a membership mission. We expect that by the end of next year, the latest, Kosovo will become a member of both IMF and World Bank.
What is your government doing for the return and rehabilitation of displaced people? Is there any program in place for that?
The Kosovo government has a very clear blueprint for the return of IDP’s (Internally Displaced People) and refugees. Many programs are being implemented simultaneously to that end and the return process is taking place without interruption. As you might know, there is a special ministry within the government of Kosovo dealing solely with this issue.
Serbian foreign minister has drawn comparison between Georgia and Kosovo saying the link is clear: US and Western support for Kosovo’s secession from Serbia has helped fuel tensions in South Ossetia. Russia has also said the same thing saying if US can support Kosovo’s independence then it can also back independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. How do you react?
Our view remains very clear that there is no comparison between Georgia and Kosovo, namely between Kosovo and South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Anyone that has a basic cognizance of the background of the issue of Kosovo can easily conclude that these are two entirely different cases. Kosovo’s independence came after almost a century-long struggle for liberation and freedom that coalesced in the last two decades into systematic joint efforts between the international community and Kosovars to come to a settlement that would be acceptable to both Kosovo and Serbia.
Nonconsensual break-up of the Federal Yugoslavia, which started in 1990, led to the declaration of independence by each constituent unit of the former Yugoslav federation. Kosovo was a federal unit, with clearly defined borders, with the right to veto at the federal level. Every single former Yugoslav unit declared its independence in reaction to Serbia’s obvious policies of domination over the whole of former Yugoslavia. This led to tragic wars throughout a number of former units, with hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Finally, the war imposed on Kosovo, in 1999, triggered NATO intervention to stop the genocide in making against the Kosovar population.
This led to the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which placed Kosovo under interim UN administration. The process to decide the final status for Kosovo was designed and pursued in line with a special provision of 1244, which called for a political process to determine the Kosovo’s final status. These efforts were materialized throughout three years of the intensive negotiations led by former Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari, and eventually by the so-called “international troika.” Unfortunately, those efforts failed exclusively because of the Serb government’s intransigence to agree to anything presented either by the mediators or by the Kosovo’s delegation. It was only when all avenues to reach an agreed settlement were exhausted that the Kosovo authorities, in close coordination with international community, declared independence. Even an average observer can identify the critical difference between a process that led to the independence of Kosovo and the ongoing developments in Georgia.
How do you see the recent Georgian conflict? Is it going to affect your country in any way? If so, then what safeguards do you have? Are your borders secure?
The recent Georgian conflict does not affect Kosovo directly. Kosovo’s borders are secured and safeguarded by a NATO-led international military force, known as KFOR. Many countries from the Muslim world have contributed to this force.
Serious disagreements remain between the Albanians, who make up to 90 percent of Kosovo, and the Serbs. How does your government plan to fill the gulf?
The government of the Republic of Kosovo has very well-crafted plans, some of them already under implementation, to address the concerns and grievances of the Serb community members. The Kosovo Parliament has adopted a comprehensive legal framework based on the Ahtisaari proposal, to protect the rights of minority communities. This model goes far beyond international standards for protection of minority rights. Special provisions in the proposal of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the UN, President Ahtisaari, provide for special competences in the Serb-majority municipalities.
What about the Serbian enclaves in Kosovo? How many of them are there and are they safe and secure in independent Kosovo?
The government of the Republic of Kosovo is determined to create such conditions that would make the existence of whatever enclaves entirely unnecessary. Every single member of the Serb community in Kosovo wwis safe and secure in an independent Kosovo. Moreover, the Serb community in Kosovo, which hardly makes up five percent of the overall population, is overrepresented in all state institutions.
