68 posts
Kosovo: New Central Bank Law
The new Law on the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK) has come into force, revoking the old CBK Law.
Can today's EU stand a new wave of Enlargement?
Following the ICJ ruling about the legality of Kosovo independence on July 22nd, Italy, Austria and Slovakia have argued that Serbia's accession process should be accelerated to support pro European Serbian President Boris Tadic. On July 27th Iceland...
James Ker-Lindsay: Legal or not, this has not solved issue of recognition
While they will be celebrating in Pristina, and there is no doubt that in a broad sense this is a victory for Kosovo, yesterday's ruling opinion is far more complex. READ MORE...
US backs Kosovan independence regardless of UN ruling
UN court set to rule on legality of Kosovo's 2008 unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia The US has pledged to back Kosovo's 2008 unilateral declaration of independence regardless of a UN court verdict on its legality due today. READ...
Now what?
Our Balkans correspondent discusses the background and implications of Kosovo's victory at the International Court of Justice...
The Kosovo ruling and obstacles to enlargement
Last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence did not contravene international law was bitter news for Serbia, which had brought the original case. The Serbian president Boris Tadic...
Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo – Advisory Opinion of 22 July
On 22 July 2010 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave its advisory opinion on the initial question: ‘Is the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo in accordance with international...
No, Kosovo's 2008 independence wasn't illegal
Over two years since the 'world's smallest country' declared independence from Serbia, the international court of justice in The Hague pronounced the action 'legitimate' on 22 July. The Swiss, Slovenian, Swedish, Czech and Spanish press – the latte...
Morning Brief (23-7)
UN court: Kosovo’s declaration of independence legal. The New York Times reports: Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 did not violate international law, the United Nations’ highest court said Thursday in a ru...
Kosovo after ICJ’s ruling
Besides tribe leaders in Pristina also many separatist movements in Somaliland, Palestine, Abkhasia, South-Ossetia, Transdnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh and even Basks in Spain have been celebreting ICJ’s opinion on Kosovo. However the life in Kos...
Kosovo’s victory is our victory
Kosovo’s independence has been recognized as legitimate by the International Court of Justice at the Hague. This is a great step forward for the rights of people everywhere to decide democratically their own future and shows sovereignty as rest...
Kosovo and the ICJ: well, damn
So the International Court of Justice (”ICJ”)delivered its opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence (”UDI”)today. (I blogged about this a few months ago.) To everyone’s surprise &...
Independence day
The International Court of Justice rules that Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence was legal...
Kosovo independence "not illegal"
The Associated Press: World court: Kosovo's independence was legalThe nonbinding opinion sets the stage for...
Kosovo Independence does not violate International Law
The International Court of Justice has ruled today that the Kosovar declaration of independence does not violate international law. Serbia had claimed that it was a "'flagrant violation' of its territorial integrity".Why has the ICJ ruled otherwise?
Kosovo snips another cord
So Kosovo just turned off the remaining Serbian mobile phone towers: The Kosovo Albanian authorities in Priština removed the equipment of all Belgrade-based mobile and landline operators this morning… Eyewitnesses, who secured the premises, sa...
Media and its freedom in Kosovo
The importance of this topic is crucial and a challenge to any democratic regime, whether it is well-consolidated or transitional, therefore we would like to bring in mind one sensational proverb by Napoleon Bonaparte: “I fear from the newspape...
Bosnia like Nagorno Karabakh, Serbia and Kosovo like FRG and GDR?
I was quite impressed by the statement made by Hido Biščević, secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council for South Eastern Europe (RCC) in an interview, that the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is “extremely worriso...
Round-up: Ashton, Lewandowski, Piebalgs&Rehn hearings
In a day of Q&A in Brussels, candidates for the EU's top foreign policy, economics, budget and development Commissioner posts were quizzed by MEPs on their priorities. Catherine Ashton promised to give credibility to the EU's dealings with the world...
EULEX at one
While security policy-makers focus on Afghanistan, EULEX remains the EU’s biggest and most complex ESDP engagement. One year after the mission’s launch, Kosovo’s future remains uncertain. Given Kosovo’s unresolved international status, EULEX...
About that coal in Kosovo (II)
A couple of years back, I wrote an article about Kosovo’s coal industry. Short version: Kosovo has lots of coal, and most of it is middle-quality lignite. But the mines suffer from a horrible lack of investment; many of them are still using...
Kosovo – an captured independence
Free movement is one fundamental human rights not only in one’s own country but also abroad. While speaking about Balkans I earlier have highlighted (e.g. “Forgotten Refugees – West Balkans“) the situation of Serb refugees or IDPs (...
Kosovo, elections and returns
10 years after the war that caused thousands of deaths, refugees and internally displaced persons, Kosovo held its first elections as an independent state on Sunday 15th November. With a high rate of absenteeism, citizens denounced the instability of...
Diana in Kosovo
Diana has just returned from witnessing the conduct of Kosovo's municipal elections held on 15th November and hailed their conduct and results as an important step in building an inclusive and multi-ethnic society.
Kosovo – The young Europeans
The Lobby is honoured to present you with the “Kosovo Nation Branding Campaign” – currently available on YouTube (see video inset at the end of this post) and soon to be broadcast on television portraying a new image of this still h...
UN death camps, EU money, local negligence
I was just watching a film“UN death camps in Kosovo April 2009” about protest which was hold by Roma children living in UN camps in North Mitrovica, Kosovo. The protesters however were still living, so far 81 has already dead after ten years su...
10 years after Nato bombings against Serbia
While remembering the 10th anniversary of Nato bombings against Serbia I like to highlight some basic issues before, during and after bombings 1999: • Public justification was based to fabricated, manipulated and one-sided reports by U.S. like ear...
10 years since Nato bombings against Serbia
While remembering the 10th anniversary of Nato bombings against Serbia I like to highlight some basic issues before, during and after bombings 1999: · Public justification was based to fabricated, manipulated and one-sided reports by U.S. like ea...
Ten years since the bombs started falling
On Serbia. Or, as it was then, Yugoslavia. The Kosovo War has been debated, God knows, enough times. Still, a couple of things. One is this interesting article from the always-worth-reading Nenad Pejic. (Favorite line: “the official speeche...
Getting sensitive (Part II): EU’s failure in handling the Kosovo case [George Iulian JIGLAU]
“We, the democratically elected leaders of our people, hereby declare Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state. This declaration reflects the will of our people and it is in full accordance with the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Ma...
Buying independence – case Kosovo/Maldives
Few weeks ago I wrote an article “Kosovo as private property” referring former Kosovo PM Haradinaj complaining that the country is transforming into private property of the leadership. The story got interesting follow-up about allegations that g...
Baby soldiers and peacekeeping in Kosovo: why choose the army?
Tomi, a lively and remarkably blond 24-year-old Finn, speaks candidly about the six months he spent in Kosovo as a volunteer in the NATO-UN peacekeeping campaign. Along with 105 other young compatriots, among them four girls, he was deployed to the B...
Kosovo as private property [Ari RUSILA]
Kosovo Albanians celebrated Feb.17th their first year of sc. Independence. Among normal praising statements and congratulations there was also various definitions of the status of this Serbia’s separatist province. Newest for me was one of...
Kosovo Independence – One Year On
As Kosovo turns one, its UK ambassador assesses the year gone by and the challenges ahead, seeing huge progress achieved and a cause for hope for the future. (Article of statehood - Kosovo's new flag. Image: Peter Casier/Flickr)...
Kosovo celebrates its first anniversary of independence
This week Kosovo celebrates its first anniversary of independence, and the many milestones it has passed in securing a path to a stable European future. This is real achievement. The Kosovan government has shown its readiness to set about improving t...
Kosovo status still administrative mess
Police from the European Union law and justice mission in Kosovo (EULEX) have set up two customs control points in Serb dominated north Kosovo. Customs is again in place after one year when angry Serbs burnt down and pushed to nearby river the border...
Odd stuff in Kosovo
The fact that several thousand Kosovars paraded in Pristina against the imposition of the EU police force that will from December 9th run the country is one thing, but this little story from a week or so ago is really strange,"PRISTINA, Nov 22 (Reute...
Good news from Kosovo
Thanks to last week's jigsaw of five related resolutions, agreements and letters at the UN and in Brussels trigger important steps on Kosovo. The EU rule of law mission will now be deployed across the whole of the country, serving all citizens of the...
UN adopts 6-point plan for Kosovo - bye bye independence experiment
A week ago I wrote here an article “UN deciding over plan for Kosovo – which plan to select?”. On the table was a 6-point plan negotiated between UN and Serbia, and a 4-point plan, a declaration by Kosovo’s separatist government. Now we know...
Protests in the Balkans
While the EU leaders are battling an ongoing financial crisis (via European Avenue) and playing host to Lukashenka, the Balkans are in throes of protests. After Montenegro and Macedonia recognized Kosovo on Thursday, Belgrade expelled the two neighbo...
Kosovo - Portugal makes its move
pPortuguese foreign minister Luis Amado on Tuesday made Portugal the 22nd EU Member State to recognise Kosovo.nbsp; He did so because of the growing sense that the declaration of independence, and more important the recognition of it by 47 countries,...
Kosovo: A ‘Pre-Frozen’ Conflict
The less often a country appears in the news headlines, the more likely that it is a peaceful, happy sort of place. But is this true of Kosovo? Its declaration of independence from Serbia in February, and its subsequent recognition by the US and 20...
Kosovo 46, South Ossetia 2?
I wanted to write a post comparing Kosovo and South Ossetia, but Dan Drezner has already written it. It’s a week old now, but still good: It’s been more than a week since Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. T...
Georgia, Ossetia, Kosovo and the principle of self determination
At least since Woodrow Wilson's 14 points, the self determination of peoples has featured as a principle of international affairs. But who has the right to self-determination? When Yugoslavia broke up, the international community was willing to reco...
Russia, South Ossetia and Kosovo
…and the need for Europe to distance itself from US policy…In the past few years, the Bush administration has not missed an opportunity to punch Russia in the nose. The continued and unabashed expansions of the out-dated Atlantic system, along wi...
Miss Kosovo
(This story is a week old. Somehow, inexcusably, I missed it until now.) Anyway: the Miss Universe pageant was held last weekend. It was in Vietnam this time, and a nice young lady from Venezuela won, but what’s interesting to your hardcore...
Kosovo: No News is Good News (kind of....)
Six months ago the threat of instability in the Western Balkans was near the top of the FCO list of political risks. The news of the last six months has been how little news there has been; and in this case no news is good news. And while there is...
Kosovar independence in the General Assembly
Following up to my earlier post, some discussion of the international reaction to Kosovar independence. At the moment, 43 countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence. (I’m defining “country” here as “member of the U...
Kosovo and the UNSC
Anybody who’s interested in Kosovo has long since bookmarked this incredibly useful page. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see that it lists every country that has recognized Kosovo (current tally: 43) plus the official statements of almost...
Kosovo: Independent, Safer, Stronger
This week marks a critical point in the move to normalisation in Kosovo. June 15 marked the end of the 120 day period after the declaration of independence by the new country of Kosovo. It also marks the drive by the UN Sec...
