New initiative on Kosovo is inspiring
The 1999 war in Kosovo has left many open wounds in the region of the Balkans. All evidence shows that this conflict began without the USA or NATO having had a clear final goal in mind as regards the final status of the troubled province. Protracting the current deadlock, as some foreign powers are seeking to do, entails many risks. The most significant danger posed by this tactic is that of dragging the Balkans into a new crisis at a very crucial time for several countries in the region. After all, most of these states are making genuine efforts to push through economic and social reforms with the aim of joining the European Union in the not-too-distant future. The international community has finally taken into account Serbia’s opinions and, for the first time, the eventuality of Kosovo’s partition is being debated. Such a solution entails other risks of course. However, this is the first serious discussion of a formula for Kosovo’s final status that gives equal consideration to both the Serbian and ethnic Albanian sides. This can only be a positive development.
