Kosovo is becoming 15 years old, but there are still many challenges

As Kosovo prepares to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Serbia, with a series of events lasting several weeks, the country still faces serious challenges in negotiations with Serbia and ties with Western powers.

But efforts for reconciliation with Serbia are at the centre of these challenges, at a time when the European Union and the United States pressure for a faster normalisation of the two former enemies' ties. Efforts have been stepped up because of fears of another unwanted conflict in the Balkans, once a hotbed of crises.

Kosovo must work hard to establish rule of law and fight unemployment, these adults even more from the global crisis following Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, however, believes the country has marked progress.

We've made progress. We've had institutional stability, especially in these two years. We are fighting crime and corruption. We are applying for membership in the Council of Europe for EU membership. Also, we want to join NATO's Partnership for Peace. This spring we will participate in military maneuvers --Defender Europe 23” with 1365 soldiers, thus entering among the few host countries of these training with NATO. So Kosovo is hopeful and optimistic”, says Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The normalisation of relations with Serbia has recently received almost full attention.

US and EU envoys have repeatedly visited Pristina and Belgrade in recent months to encourage them to accept a new proposal for normalising relations and to strengthen their chances for EU membership.

A dialog Kosovo-Serbia mediated by the EU has continued since 2011, but few of the 33 agreements signed have been implemented.

“I think we are approaching an agreement with Serbia, but I am not sure it will be concluded by this year. Due to major disagreements between leaders of both countries, I do not believe it will soon be resolved”, says Adea Kondrolli, Pristina resident.

Details of the proposal have not yet been made public, but US Ambassador to Pristina Jeffrey M. Hüvenier, said the proposal “is a temporary step, which ... would regulate relations in very significant ways and be of great benefit to both Kosovo and Serbia. ”

Washington has stepped up pressure on Pristina to implement a 2013 agreement on establishing the Serb majority municipalities' Association in northern Kosovo, which would co-ordinate work in education, health care and economic development at the local level.

In 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo declared part of the unconstitutional plan because it did not include other ethnicities and could include executive competence.

“is the right time for an agreement when you consider the commitment of the international community, especially America's greatest insistence on a final agreement. But when we look at Serbia's negative approach, I'm a little skeptical that we will have a general agreement”, says Valon Alia, resident of Pristina.

Kosovo is concerned that establishing the Association will eventually undermine citizenship as a result of Belgrade's influence and will become similar to the Bosnian Serb Republic.

Kosovo has been recognised by 117 countries, including the US and most Western powers, and has joined about 200 international organisations.

But it has not been recognised by five EU member states.

Serbia, which considers Kosovo the cradle of its civilisation, still views Kosovo as part of its territory, supported by Russia and China.

“If we normalise relations with Serbia this year, this will be a big deal, not only for Kosovo, but especially for Serbia”, Prime Minister Kurti estimates.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO's 78-day bombings in 1999, which ended the crackdown on the Albanian population by Serb forces.

Two years later, the International Court of Justice said that Kosovo's “declaration of independence, adopted on February 17th 2008, does not constitute violations of international law”.

Relations with Serbia have remained tense.

Last year Serbia officially asked the NATO-led Kosovo Forces mission, or KFOR, to send 1,000 troops to protect its minority, mainly in northern Kosovo. Serbian residents there had set up 16 barricades, blocking roads in the north following the arrest of a police officer.

Pristina accuses Belgrade of exploiting the Serb minority, which it says is only 7% of the population of 1.8 million people, to increase bilateral tensions and only Western powers can resolve the situation.

Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, chief of the EU's mission for rule of law in Kosovo, called the December incident a highly tense “gter with barricades” and the most serious “crisis facing Kosovo... for the last decade”. /voa