American Professor: That's why Serbia must recognise Kosovo's independence

According to him, in the dialogue between the two countries there should be a tough European mediator, citing Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble, while as US representatives he proposes former US Secretary of State Condoleza Rice, Koha.net reports.

Below we bring you the full look of Phillips:

Why Serbia Must Know Kosovo's Independence

Brussels insists that Serbia normalise relations with Kosovo before joining the European Union (BE). So far, 114 states have recognised Kosovo's independence. However, Serbia campaigned against Kosovo's efforts to gain broader global recognition. It also supports private parallel structures in northern Kosovo, which violate Kosovo's sovereignty and promote anxiety among Kosovo Serbs. The Kosovo-Serbia conflict can be resolved with more effective international mediation. Diplomacy works best when Europe and the US work together.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucin's recent statement boosts optimism. He called on the Serbian nation of “to stop putting their heads into sand” on the Kosovo issue and to launch “an internal dialogue”. He told Serbs “to be realistic”.

A great Bazaar may be preparing. As normalisation begins with addressing many bilateral issues, it is all summed up in recognising Kosovo's independence from Serbia. The recognition would lead to Kosovo's membership in the UN, and Serbia would negotiate the EU membership criteria, ultimately by entering the EU at the same time.

A framework for negotiations only exists. Kosovo- Serbia is launched by the EU in 2011. Kosovo and Serbia finalised agreements on technical issues such as freedom of movement, integrated management of borders and car plates. However, implementation has not been equal. The 2013 Brussels Agreement affirmed the European future “for Kosovo and Serbia. At best, there is progress fragmented in the political sphere.

Existing agreements must be empowered. The EU should suspend mediation if any parties do not abide by commitments. An official EU Monitoring mechanism would report to member states through the EU Council's Political Security Committee.

The EU must condition the funds provided for Kosovo and Serbia through its Instrument for Pre-Antation Assistance Programme. “There is progress, sʹka chapters” would be the key principle, which would link the progress of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue with Serbia's EU aspirations.

Media need an exit plan for their diplomacy. Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, who served as UN special envoy from 2005 to 2008, knew the outcome of his efforts before taking office. Modern mediators need strategic and moral clarity.

A new format would promote negotiations. The EU must appoint an individual with heavy international weight as special envoys. Wolfgang Schauble, minister of finance in Germany, has negotiating influence and experience. He would be difficult in this role. Taking into account her experience and general work in the Balkans as American Secretary of State Condolezza Rice would be ideal as US special representative, Koha.net broadcasts.

Dialogue cannot be open endings. The mediators must set a 18-month deadline. The clock would have to start moving when the dialogue is reformed and resumed.

The people of Kosovo and Serbia must be kept informed. The delegations of Kosovo and Serbia must include a “ekip unity”, composed of major political parties and representatives of civil society.

A deal won't be easy. It's a bunch of bilateral issues to address. There are about 1,500 people missing from the war. A Regional Commission on War Crimes Facts would help calm family victims. About $1.5 billion of Kosovo's pension fund and $600,000 of privatisation are received from Serbia. In return, Serbia wants to regain its investment value in Kosovo. A compensation plan is needed. Kosovo needs a comprehensive plan for the integration of Kosovo Serbs, providing local autonomy to boost minority rights.

The US has interest in reaching an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo is on the line of Russia's new cold war front with the West. Moscow has been transferring sophisticated weapons to Serbia, including MIG-29 fighter aircraft, T-72 war tanks and land-air missiles. BUK. In December, a Russian train wearing the message “Kosovo is Serbia” in 20 languages was banned by Kosovo authorities at the border. The subsequent struggle with words nearly led to violent confrontation.

Lack of progress has a negative impact on both Kosovo and Serbia. Failure in full integration into the international system endangers Kosovo's economy, which suffers from 30 per cent unemployment and an even higher percentage of unemployed youth. Lack of economic development has fostered an underground economy. Crime, corruption and nepotism are widespread in the region.
Denying visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens has made them disappointed with the West. Islam is on the rise. A large number of Kosovo Albanians have joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. With financing from Turkey, in Pristina construction of the largest mosque in the Balkans is planned, Koha.net broadcasts.

Serbia is stigmatized by its genocide practices during the 1990s. It continues to remain a country close to failure, occupied in the midst of its dark history, European aspirations and the cruel influence of Russia. In the absence of economic reforms, Serbia has become the centre for organised crime and all kinds of trafficking. Kosovo's north is led by a criminal gang under Belgrade's control. There is a two-way symbiotic relationship between gangs in northern Kosovo and their mafia counterparts in Serbia and the region.

Serbia wants to gain EU membership as soon as it normalises relations with Kosovo. Would Serbia's problems with Kosovo solve Euro-Atlantic integration? Will Serbia be able to secure Russia's reconciliation for Kosovo's UN membership? Would Serbia block Kosovo's EU membership if it became an EU member.
Globalists in the Trump administration can achieve a success in foreign policy by engaging in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. An agreement between Kosovo and Serbia would stabilise a region of strategic importance in Europe, reaffirm the importance of trans-Atlantic co-operation and stress Washington's essential diplomatic role.

• David L. Phillips is director of the Peace Construction and Rights Programme at Columbia University's Institute for Human Rights Studies. He is the author of “Liberating Kosovo: Coercive Diplomacy and U.S. Intervention” ( MIT Press, 2012).