Region: Kosovo's 'neighborly relations' still sour

Pristina, KOSOVO

Tanks rolled down Mother Teresa Boulevard Feb. 17, but unlike in past tumultuous decades, these NATO-trained forces were not engaged in combat. Rather, they were part of celebrations marking five years since Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in 2008.

The first military parade to be held in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia attracted large crowds despite the cold weather. Waving flags, participants applauded and cheered as representatives from the Kosovo Security Force marched past. Special police units in ski masks, service dogs, fire engines, military personnel and heavy artillery were all on display.

Following the parade, fireworks, traditional dancing and music continued throughout the day and late into the night as people celebrated across the city. In downtown Pristina, the Newborn sculpture, erected in 2008 to celebrate the new nation's birth, attracted large crowds. On Feb. 17, Fisnik Ismaili, designer of the award-winning monument, arranged volunteers to repaint it with the 101 flags of countries that recognize Kosovo.

This type of "artivism" sent a message of appreciation to those countries that have recognized Kosovo, but was also a stark reminder to those that have not.

"Space has been left to include Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Spain - the only five European Union countries that haven't recognized Kosovo," explained volunteer Wessel Catshoek. "I guess you could call it a hint."

Despite a 2010 ruling by the International Court of Justice that the autonomous region's declaration of independence "did not violate any applicable rule of international law," around half the United Nations members still do not recognize the state. This includes superpowers Russia and China, as well as neighboring Serbia, which claims recognizing Kosovo would be in direct violation of its constitution and territorial integrity.  

Despite EU demands to "improve neighborly relations" in order to advance Serbia's membership bid, the situation between the two countries remains tense. Serb-dominated pockets in north Kosovo and ethnic Albanian-dominated region in south Serbia continue to act as flashpoints for unrest. Recent months have seen protests over joint-border management, a bomb explosion in Mitrovica and the state-led removal of a controversial monument to Albanian guerrilla fighters in Presevo.  

In December, the respective prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dačić, met for the first time since the end of the armed conflict. While this meeting of the pair of once-sworn enemies seemed to signal a thawing of relations between the two countries, a Feb. 17 statement from the Serbian government's office to Kosovo quickly reaffirmed the status quo.

"Serbia has never, and never will recognize Kosovo," the statement read. "Something created [based] on injustice cannot be legal and just."  

In a televised address, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga countered, "The republic of Kosovo is an irrefutable reality, and its independence is irreversible."

Yet Serbia is far from Kosovo's only obstacle to European integration. Earlier this month, the European Commission published a scathing report, highlighting the country's failure to tackle corruption and organized crime. Despite large-scale international investment Kosovo remains one of Europe's poorest countries, with unemployment at around 45 percent and one-third of the population living on less than $1 per day.

However, many Kosovars feel their future does not lie with Europe. On Independence Day, the bold red Albanian flag with a black double-headed eagle and star-studded Kosovar flag hung side by side in every corner of the city. A 2010 Gallup survey found 81 percent of Kosovar Albanians support the idea of unification into a Greater Albania.  

"All people in my generation have this dream. We are a tribe nation," said Kushtrim Bytyçi, a 22-year-old student attending the festivities. Yet the reunification of ethnic Albanians is an even more distant hope than EU membership, not least because of American opposition and a lack of Albanian support for the idea.

With unresolved questions of identity, an uncertain standing in the international community and a faltering economy, life in Kosovo remains tough. Five years after declaring independence, Europe's youngest country has a long way to go.

Harriet Salem can be reached at
regions@praguepost.com