Recognition of elected Serb parallel structures in Kosovo

[Crvena zvezda]

Recognition of elected Serb parallel structures
Wednesday, 21 May 2008


Albin Kurti, Vetevendosje leaderIt has not taken long for signs to emerge that talks will begin with the Serb local administrative parallel structures, elected illegally on 11th May, thus legitimizing their existence. The first to take this step of the many international missions running Kosovo or trying to run Kosovo is EULEX. The head of EULEX, Yves de Kermabon, is quoted by B92 as stating, ‘I am willing to talk to everybody, because I believe that is the only way to find solutions for the Serbs living here.” He added, “I do not want the EU to be forcibly deployed here. I consider that impossible, and that is why I want to have talks with members of the Serb community in Kosovo, as well as with the authorities in Belgrade”. Kermabon, do not forget, invited the Serbian chief of the general staff to his farewell ceremony in 2006, without consulting Kosovo’s institutions, just 6 years after the Serbian army had killed over 10,000 Albanians.

News reports suggest that EULEX will be delayed until the end of the year because of international disagreement about its legitimacy. EULEX in order to preserve its existence is now seeking cooperation from Belgrade and local Serbs, regardless of the implications this has for Kosovo’s sovereignty. By talking to the newly elected parallel structures, EULEX recognizes their legitimacy, thus saving UNMIK the bother and the bad press of doing the same. In order to preserve its own existence, EULEX is thus violating Kosovo’s sovereignty. But this should not be surprising: This mission itself is based on the approval of states which do not recognize Kosovo