Compromise with a bully
Interview with Aleksandar Mitic, Director of the Kosovo Compromise project
(Anja Vvedenskaya, Literaturnaya Gazeta) Tuesday, August 05, 2008
LG : Was the decision of the EU about the independent status of Kosovo inevitable?
MITIC: The EU has masterminded the process of the definition of Kosovo's status. The position of the EU was programmed by the appointment - under the pressure of Brussels and Washington - of Maarti Ahtisaari as the special UN envoy. He was chosen despite his well-known bias, with the goal of fulfilling a practical task - paving the way to the one-sided separation of Kosovo.
LG : Two years ago, it looked like the question of Kosovo status was separated from the process of Serbia's accession to EU...but now it looks like Serbia should reject Kosovo in order to join the EU.
MITIC : The separation of these two processes is possible only on paper. In reality they are closely interlinked. It is sufficient to follow the negotiations between EU and Serbia to get the proof: the Serbs are forced to swallow a sugar-covered bitter pill.
LG : Do you agree with the Commissioner Olli Rehn, who said that the definition of the Kosovo status should close the last chapter of the tragic history of Yugoslavia's fall and open a new dynamic for the European future of the Balkans ?
MITIC : The forceful separation of Kosovo is the last chapter in Yugoslavia's demise and the first chapter in the new era of destabilisation of the Balkans. The self-declaration of Kosovo independence is against all norms of international law, including resolutions of the UN, the Helsinki Final Act and the Serbian Constitution. It is an illegal act and cannot lead to stabilization. Forceful solutions are never real solutions.
LG : But the EU states that it is a "sui generis" case, an absolutely unique case, which does not fit into any international rules...
MITIC: This is the most absurd from all the theses related to Kosovo. It is at the same time both odd and dangerous. Why are the Albanians the only nation in the world which was granted the right to grab the territory of an independent, sovereign country? For Brussels and Washington it is a unique case, but in 1999 there were 40 conflicts with thousands of dead each and none of them - except Kosovo -- led to the territorial division of a sovereign country.
LG: How do you see the process of creating new small states in Europe ? Do you think that these types of states are viable?
MITIC : The US and the EU have opened the Pandora box when they organized Kosovo's independence. The virus of separatism is gaining in strength. Nationalists use at length the example of Kosovo. But above all there is the ultranationalist project of the Kosovo Albanians to create a Greater Albania.
LG: Do you think that the Greater Albania is their aim ?
MITIC : They dream about it . The question remains whether they will be able to put their dream into life. But they will not stop working in that direction.
LG : Is the creation of the independent Kosovo a part of the American strategy to come closer to the Black Sea and strengthen its control over the Middle East ?
MITIC : It is clear that the creation of the biggest US military base in Europe « Bondsteel » within the Kosovo territory is not a simple coincidence. It is situated in a powerful strategic position that allows control over key corridors: energy, transport, the aquaria of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, as well as the Middle East. Do not forget that the Ahtisaari plan directly stipulates that the NATO authority is the highest authority in Kosovo. The civilian control over the NATO is not foreseen. NATO can do whatever it wants behind the high walls of « Bondsteel » - it is out of control there. It is not for nothing that Kosovo is called « NATO Kingdom ». For example, the decision to train Kosovo's army by NATO is not regulated by any treaties...
LG : Kosovo sends its ambassadors to the countries that have admitted it's independence. Whom do they represent?
MITIC : Only Kosovo Albanians, but not Kosovo Serbs. Kosovo is recognised by 43 countries - in majority the NATO countries. The rest have too clear of an idea about the dangerous consequences of this step.
LG: You are working for the Kosovo compromise project. What compromise is acceptable for Serbia?
MITIC : There are a several possibilities. If Kosovo Serbs and Albanians cannot live together, they can live next to each other nevertheless. It is necessary to return to the UN process. I cannot imagine how the French or the Germans would admit their fault, but I cannot imagine either the retreat of the Russian and Chinese.
The search for the Kosovo compromise is the only option. One can determine Kosovo's status only by negotiations, not by imposition.
LG : How do you react to the confessions of the former prosecutor of the ICTY Carla del Ponte about the organ transplantation camps where Serbs were used as donor material ? In her book she confessed that she couldn't investigate the case because the traces led to the leaders of the Kosovo Albanians...Is there any hope that the criminals will be prosecuted?
MITIC: The Hague Tribunal has never been an objective institution. It has liberated the Albanian politicians and soldiers despite clear evidence of their crimes. Eight years of Carla Del Ponte's silence is a scandal in itself. This is evidence about the ambiguous morality of those behind the Hague justice.
Criminals have received as a gift an independent state, as well as the label of "democrats" and "reformers". Guerilla leader and narco-dealer Hashim Thaqi, called The Snake, is declared a democrat and reformist. The witnesses of the crimes were physically eliminated. They tried to threaten even the judges of the Tribunal. Could the Serbs agree with the violation of their country? It was « rape », I can't choose another word for what has happened. I was a reporter during the war and I saw everything with my own eyes.
LG : How the Serbs estimate the Russian position ?
MITIC : The Russian position, based on principles of respect of international law, is crucial not only for the Serbs, but for the whole international legal system. The Serbs are grateful to Russians for what they did and are doing these last years. But I repeat - their position is important not only for the Serbs, but for the international relations in general.
LG: But there are the others in Serbia, those who think that the country should give up Kosovo, the so-called Euro-enthusiasts...
MITIC : This position is represented by only five percent of the electorate, the rest are against giving up Kosovo. There are no different opinions about Kosovo's separation, but there are different views on how to deal with the EU in this context. Some say: « Go to hell! You have robbed us and you continue robbing us! » Some others say: « Your robbery is disgusting, but we can try to negotiate ». Still, even the greatest pro-European enthusiast will never say: « Thank you EU for raping us ». The Serbs will never forget it.
LG : What is the perspective for the Serbia joining the EU ?
MITIC : There is only one perspective - to join the EU as one state, including Kosovo. No political party can foresee another way. For the Serbs, another way does not exist.
http://www.lgz.ru/article/id=5268&top=26&ui=1217412030062&r=607