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| "Kosovo's independence, debacle" |
| 29 December 2008 | 16:22
| Source:
B92, Tanjug |
BRUSSELS --
Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration turned into a debacle and a bad precedent, European Voice writes.
In her column for this independent Brussels-based publication, Ilana Bet-El criticizes the EU for what she describes as "disarray over Kosovo, starting from the unilateral declaration of independence in February".
"It was an ill-conceived, amateurishly handled move, lacking consensus in the EU and in the international arena. Regardless of whether Kosovo deserved independence or not, the reasoning behind it was contorted at the best of times, laying open the deep global divisions over international law and its application," Bet-El says.
"From a narrowly EU perspective, it was a public relations disaster that mutated into a substantive one, given the inability to deploy the much-planned EU mission EULEX," she writes, and adds that now that the mission "finally got some people on the ground in the past few weeks is down to another round of doubtful deals rather than clear resolutions".
"But then clear resolutions were not on offer: Kosovo paralyzed the UN Security Council because of threatened U.S. or Russian vetoes. As a result, the entire debacle became exactly that which everyone assumed it would be from the start: a bad precedent," the article continues.
In August, Bet-El says, Russia "endlessly trotted out Kosovo as its excuse for invading Georgia: in its terms, simply a repeat of what the West had done in the Balkan province".
"That Russia undermined its own argument by reaching the outskirts of Tbilisi does not negate the fact that, if it had taken just Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the West would have found it extremely difficult to counter the mirror logic of its own actions," she concludes.
Another Brussels publication, New Europe, also looks at the issue of Kosovo, in an article entitled, "Will mission Kosovo be mission impossible for the EU?"
"Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February, but remains plagued by ethnic hatred, segregation, crime and corruption, thriving amid widespread poverty and a staggering rate of unemployment," the weekly writes.
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| Politics - Most relevant news |
Monday, 29 December
2008 |
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Parliament adopts 2009 budget
10:18 -> 23:02 |
Source:B92, Beta
KLA war crimes suspects remanded in custody
09:29 -> 14:09 |
Source:B92, Beta
Prosecutor reveals Preševo raids details
16:46 |
Source:B92
National security council to meet
10:41 |
Source:B92, Beta, Blic, Večernje novosti
Dačić lauds MUP efficiency, comments on Preševo
17:14 |
Source:B92, Beta, Tanjug
UNMIK: No request over Gnjilane Group
15:13 |
Source:FoNet, Beta
Serbia wants special ties with both entities
10:47 |
Source:Tanjug
Pundits: Elections unlikely in 2009
14:45 |
Source:B92
All news for 29. December 2008
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