The EU should take a unanimous stance on Kosovo
Paris, 5 June 2007 - The WEU Assembly has called for the European Union to adopt a unanimous position on the future of Kosovo, stating that “anything less would imply the ultimate failure of the EU´s ambition to conduct a common foreign policy”.
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Presenting a report entitled “The EU and security in south-east Europe”, Gerd Höfer (Germany, Socialist Group) said he and his colleagues were surprised during their recent visit to the region that both Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were upbeat about their EU accession prospects. Serbian officials believed negotiations would open in 2008 and could be followed by accession in 2012, he said.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina “should start preparing”, if it expected to join the EU in 2012, and not count on a top-down approach, Mr Höfer noted. The military situation in the country was “stable and calm” and Operation Althea troop reductions were justified. There was “light at the end of the tunnel”, and, he added, “we could contemplate withdrawing our military presence, provided that certain outstanding commitments are fulfilled”. These included constitutional and police reform. The region was far from meeting EU institutional standards - particularly the judiciary in Kosovo.
The report, which was adopted unanimously, also called for the EU to deepen relations with Serbia with the aim of integrating the country into Euro-Atlantic structures, and to resume negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the new Serbian Government - though not to sign it until Ratko Mladic had been extradited and other conditions met.
Commenting on developments in the former Yugoslavia, special correspondent for The Economist Tim Judah said the plan for the supervised independence of Kosovo, drawn up by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, was unlikely to be endorsed by the UN Security Council. Serbian President Vojislav Kostunica was expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on 9 June but, Mr Judah suggested, it was unlikely that President Putin would advocate independence for Kosovo on that occasion.
Speaking from the floor, Lord Russell-Johnston (United Kingdom, Liberal Group) said the internal situation in Kosovo was “highly unsatisfactory”, but that this was not a reason for opposing independence. He added that he was “very depressed” about Bosnia and Herzegovina and its “very manifest” ethnic divide. None of the political parties in the recent election campaign advocated reconciliation. “I am not very optimistic about the Balkans” he admitted. “I hope I am wrong”.
Mr Dario Rivolta (Italy, Federated Group) urged caution about independence for Kosovo, as it could represent a dangerous precedent, and Mr João Mota Amaral (Portugal, Federated Group) questioned the impact that independence could have on the Republika Srpska and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
