Financial Times (London, England) January 8, 2007 Monday
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR; Pg. 16
Serbia has offered highest possible autonomy to Kosovo
>From Mr Ivan Vujacic.
Sir, Senator Joe Biden ("Opponents of a new Kosovo must be stopped",
January 3) proposes recognising independence without sovereignty (because
it is not ready) for Kosovo, currently a province of Serbia, under
United Nations administration.
He believes this "could yield a victory for Muslim democracy" and provide a
"much-needed example of a successful US-Muslim partnership". The impediments
to
this outcome are "extremists" in Belgrade and Moscow who will "conspire" to
prevent Kosovo's independence.
For anyone following the situation, it is difficult to agree that extremists
are in power in Serbia. Since the democratic revolution that overthrew
Slobodan
Milosevic, Serbia has been radically transformed economically, politically
and
has had major achievements in the strengthening of human and minority
rights.
It has had several elections that have produced governments that are
committed to European and Atlantic integration. It has offered the highest
possible autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia in the negotiations on its future
status. Surely, this is not extremism.
The truth of the matter is that Kosovo has a dismal record regarding basic
security, the rule of law and respect for property and human rights for
non-Albanians. Democracy should be universal and not ethnic, nor based on
religion. Should the threat of violence be rewarded by a quick move to
independence or is Kosovo just a propaganda tool for the Muslim world as
Senator Biden seems to suggest?
Serbia expects that the principles of international law and the UN Charter
should be adhered to. It does not believe that a democratic nation should be
dismembered. It has stated so publicly. Surely, this is not conspiracy.
Ivan Vujacic,
Ambassador of Serbia to the US
Copyright 2007 The Financial Times Limited
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