Volker: Kosovo recognition from Serbia serves all Balkans

Thus says Ambassador Kurt Volker, former representative of America in NATO, currently the United States' special envoy for Ukraine, who emphasises that the entire region, including Serbia, would benefit from closing this chapter. Mr. Volker made comments during a discussion in Voice of America on the 10th anniversary of the Russian intervention in Georgia and annexing regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Ambassador Volker calls an injustice to all in the Balkans, in particular to Kosovars, whose state is still not recognised by Serbia and all EU members:

“As a result, they are blocked in relations with the EU and are unable to take full advantage of the declaration as an independent state”.

This situation, Volker says, holds Serbia hostage. It would be good for the Serbian people themselves to close this painful and shameful chapter, the US diplomat says:

“Serbs must move forward. The best thing for Serbia, in my opinion, is integration into the European Union. If Kosovo and Serbia and others in the region manage to do so, we will see a much more functional region in terms of ethnic relations, in terms of status, economic development and policy”.

The diplomat provides an example of problems with Bosnia, which he says are partly related to Kosovo's still open status in the Balkans:

“Solving the Kosovo issue is marked a major step forward for Bosnia. If Kosovo and Serbia reach an agreement that enables lasting peace, allowing mutual recognition between the two states, it would somewhat stabilise politics in Serbia. Kosovo would have opened the way forward, while Bosnia's problems would be reduced to the challenges that really relate to this country”.

The 10th anniversary discussion of the Russian intervention in Georgia includes the ambitions and geopolitical strategies of the powerful allies of the Balkan countries. Scholar Paul Saunders says Washington and Brussels' support for Kosovo's secession from Serbia became one of the sticking points between Moscow and the West:

“The support given to the United States and Europe unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo was seen by Russia as a case that could serve as a predecessor, though America and European allies did not want it to serve as such”.

Ambassador Volker rejects Moscow's argument to take advantage of Kosovo's case as parallel to the division of the Crimea in Ukraine or to South Ossetia in Georgia. He cites a co-ordinated effort of international factors, based on international agreement and resolution, multilateral mechanisms that included Moscow, which enabled the prevention of the Kosovo conflict and recognition of its status as an independent state.

Russia, he says, is alone in its efforts to change borders in Georgia and Ukraine. Despite its efforts, no one has recognised the Crimea, and 10 years after the intervention, Abkhazia and South Ossetia still remain without international status.