Many challenges in travelling to Kosovo during 10 years of independence

Kosovo is still not named an independent state by the European Union, although 23 EU states individually recognise its independence. In the EU's recent strategy for the Balkans, to the Kosovo stake, Kosovo is likely to make steady progress with implementation of the Stabilisation Agreement -Accommodation (MSA) and advance to its European path when the target circumstances” allow.

Critical Against the EU

Kosovo politics criticised the EU strategy, part of Kosovo. However, EU representative in Kosovo Natalia Apostolova says that essentially in the strategy, “has no difference between Kosovo and other countries in the region, although for Kosovo, the long way to the integration phase --” still remains.

“Conditions and criteria are the same and the enlargement process remains based on merits and there is no other way. The EU cannot and will not import bilateral disputes, they must be resolved before membership. Kosovo, as well as Serbia, should intensify efforts for normalisation, because there are no alternative ways”, Natalia Apostolova said.

10 years of independence, progress, and even impasse

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, for the 10th anniversary of Kosovo's independence, says that “the past few years have been years of comprehensive progress in Kosovo, being recognised by 115 countries in the world, cultivating good reports with international allies, as well as years of relaxing reports with Serbia”. But concern for the president remains the <x2nd>solation of Kosovo's citizens from the EU, their failure to move free into the Schengen area”.

Regional development director Naim Rashit, from Balkan Brupi for Politics, told DW that after declaring independence, Kosovo faced major topics affecting its sovereignty, and this caused citizens' expectations to be blocked.

The reality is that Kosovo society has not had experience in building institutions and there has been no projection on how the years of independence will go, what the 10-year-old, 20-year-old independence and so on will look like, and the promises given at that time have been hope rather than a reality. Kosovo, after declaring independence, has faced major issues concerning domestic and external sovereignty, and this has delayed full consolidation of independence and prevented expectations that have been”, says Naim Rashit.

Mr. Rashit thinks that despite the impasses in Kosovo after the proclamation of independence, there have also been achievements estimated by the political spectrum. “However, achievement has, because the supervision of Kosovo's independence has been completed, has 115 recognitions, and the state has been somewhat consolidated. For people who are close to political processes, these are significant achievements, while for new societies and generations these achievements are very flawed. So this 10th anniversary finds Kosovo society in a kind of depression, because the state fails to meet the minimum demands of citizens in everyday life, such as health, education, public services, business and so on. So the progress made is evident and enjoys the political structure, but very weak for most of society”, says Naim Rashit.

Dialogue with Serbia

Another obligation Kosovo has not yet met by dialogue with Serbia mediated by the EU is the foundation of the association of Serb majority municipalities. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who in 2013 in the prime minister's quality signed the agreement on normalisation of relations with Serbia, reminds the Government of Kosovo, as says the internationally incomplete “task force, which concerns the establishment of the Serbian majority municipality association”.

Another connoisseur of political developments, Blerim Burjan, tells DW that Kosovo on the 10th anniversary of independence is still on a path towards consolidation of state institutions. “Kosovo's main challenges remained to strengthen the rule and law, in particular the functioning of the justice system, the fight against corruption, nepotism, the extent of full sovereignty in the north of the state, the establishment of the Armed Seals, the Improvation of the Serbian Commission Association Agreement, ratification of demarcation with Montenegro, visa liberalisation, economic development and social protection, and European integration”, says Blerim Burjan, adding that Kosovo needs a greater push from the EU in the sense of granting integration processes.

So the EU needs more to encourage and grant the will to Kosovo institutions for integration processes. The EU must support Kosovo citizens more, they need greater support from the EU not to be isolated from Europe. Kosovo citizens remain loyal friends of the EU and the US. Kosovo citizens strongly believe in the EU and its developments because Kosovars are committed on the road to European integration. The EU should offer with much will to Kosovars”, Blrim Burjani says.

Initiative Against Special Court Aggression of International Relations

On the eve of marking the 10th anniversary of independence, Kosovo thoroughly irritated relations with the international community, when 43 Kosovo Assembly deputies undertook an initiative to abolish the Special Court for War Crimes, founded by law by the Kosovo Assembly in 2015. The debates over the issue lasted more than a month, and only after a major international pressure -- the top heads of state, President Hashim Thaci, Parliament Speaker Kadri Veselinaj and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj -- were publicly declared that the law for the Special Court will not be abolished, even though the Special Court for War Crimes for Kosovo they continue to label it a historic injustice. To ensure that these positions are true, with a joint statement from the QUINT countries, which are part of the United States, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, welcomed the positions of Kosovo political leaders.

We expect Kosovo leaders to keep their word, while Kosovo institutions expect them to honour that readiness. Only by supporting rule of law and ensuring justice for all victims can Kosovo affirm its maturity as a state and willingness to integrate completely into Europe and the international community. With the support of Specialised Chambers, continued support from Kosovo's closest friends and allies now, when we celebrate many achieved in the decade, since independence”, the QUINT State Declaration said.

Political Class Responsibility

Another political analyst, Imer Mushkolaj, told DW that ten years ago citizens' expectations from their country were much larger. Things have not gone as they were supposed to be, but in other areas. Today Kosovo is a more troubled state, for many angles of grim perspective that serve the interests of the political class rather than citizens. And the responsibility for this situation is held by the political class, which, by its actions, has caused things to get blocked”, says Imer Mushkolaj.

According to him, it is not easy for a state to become, but with a greater commitment and responsibility of political leadership, the situation would be much better. Serbia has hampered Kosovo's construction throughout this decade. If no final agreement on recognising Kosovo's citizenship is reached, then problems will only increase. The agreement between the two states must be reached soon, with US and EU mediation and race. This would have a positive impact on Kosovo's statehood”, says Imer Mushkolaj.

Citizens ' Expectations

Many Kosovo citizens are not convinced that the end of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue mediated by the EU will produce as a result for Serbia to recognise Kosovo's independence. In an opinion research done by the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), “Normation of Kosovo relations Serbia, the view of citizens”, found that 49% of citizens think that Kosovo- Serbia should not continue without direct US involvement in the process. “is 45% of respondents from the Serbian community that share the position that dialogue should continue even without US involvement in the process, against only 29% of citizens from the Albanian community and 24% from other communities who think the same 48x4>.

And Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj says that Kosovo's <x0); independence has been achieved in a concerted effort with the US, and this makes the connection between the two Kosovo people and the ammercan more special. The US at the helm of NATO has saved the lives of Kosovo citizens”, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said, who together with President Hashim Thaci were in the US for morning prayer.

“51% of citizens surveyed do not expect the process of dialogue with Serbia to be completed during 2018. Similar attitudes divide all citizens surveyed despite their ethnic affiliation. (4.8%) have responded that they do not expect recognition from Serbia at the conclusion of the dialogue process. “Only 1% of the citizens of the Serbian community expect that Serbia will recognise the state of Kosovo at the end of this process, compared to 34% of the citizens of the Albanian community and 23% of the citizens of other communities”, says the opinion research done by the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) “Normation of Kosovo relations ♫ Serbia, the view of citizens”.