Serbian Ambassador Leaves As Rome Recognises Kosovo
Prodi calls for rapid entry into EU. Serbian diplomat says situation is
difficult but relations will remain in place.
ROMA – First she wrote a protest note for the Italian foreign ministry and
then she packed her bags. Sanda Raskovic Ivic, the Serbian ambassador to
Italy, has been recalled to Belgrade and will leave before the end of the
week. At the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday morning, the Council of
Ministers began the process of recognising the self-proclaimed state of
Kosovo, triggering Serbia’s diplomatic reaction. Both moves had been
signalled, and both were accompanied by great caution and, at least so far,
scrupulous attention to the boundaries within which the dispute should
remain.
“We cannot talk about breaking off diplomatic relations with Italy because
the issue with Italy is not like the one with the United States”, Ambassador
Raskovic was at pains to point out in an interview with SkyTG24. “I am not
sure whether we will break off relations with the United States but I rule
this out for Italy because Italy is a major economic partner”, she went on.
As Romano Prodi was explaining to journalists that the foreign minister,
Massimo D’Alema, had been instructed to answer Pristina’s request for
recognition in the affirmative, he pointed out: “Italy has always been close
to Serbia. Italy will always be on the side of those who want to make
Serbia’s entry into the European Union as swift as possible. This
recognition takes nothing away from our closeness to Serbia”.
Mr D’Alema and Italy’s diplomats are convinced that Belgrade will continue
to need Italy. Italy is Serbia’s second most important trading partner and
there are 2,600 Italian troops in Kosovo who can defend the Serbian minority
in the former province with its Albanian majority. Only the social
solidarity minister, Communist Refoundation’s (PRC) Paolo Ferrero, voted
against the government’s decision at the meeting of the Council of
Ministers. It was, however, a painful decision. According to Mr Ferrero,
without United Nations backing for the breakaway from Serbia, there is a
“clear violation of international law”.
This was not the Prodi government’s preferred outcome until George W. Bush
visited Italy and Albania last summer to advocate independence for Kosovo.
It looked too difficult to say no to the United States and split with the
United Kingdom, France and the Germany, who were more inclined to influence,
and not impede, Kosovo’s independence while keeping it less than absolute.
“We feel betrayed by the EU and by Italy. You accept bad things from friends
with great pain”, said Ambassador Raskovic. In recognising the new state,
the government said in a communiqué that the decision was “in line with the
conclusions of the Council of Ministers of the European Union on 18
February”. Serbia has recalled its ambassadors from all the capitals that
have recognised the state of Kosovo. “At this point, it was inevitable. If
it had been up to us, we would have chosen another time-scale”, admitted Mr
D’Alema.
Maurizio Caprara
English translation by Giles Watson
www.watson.it
22 febbraio 2008
http://www.corriere.it/english/articoli/2008/02_Febbraio/22/serbia.shtml
