REL: Kosovo has allies for NATO, but does it have itself?

A new moment for its approach is consolidating at decision-making centres in Washington, however, its exploitation seems to require stronger political impetus even from Pristina.

For Albania's former Defence Minister, Fatmir Mediu, closely involved in talks on Kosovo's progress towards NATO, support from Washington represents an important opportunity. But, according to him, it loses weight if Kosovo does not ensure internal institutional stability. NATO membership requires, first of all, political consensus and co-ordinated approach by Kosovo itself.

“Without a Kosovo with institutions without a Kosovo with stable policy and Government, it will be difficult to clear the way for NATO membership”, says Mediu for the Expose programme Radio Free Europe.

In late April, a concrete step was taken at the US Congress: representative Keith Self, along with his colleagues, Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, proposed a resolution aimed at pushing Kosovo's path towards NATO.

The two-party resolution stresses, among other things, that Kosovo's <x0 democratic governance, civil oversight of security forces and multiethnic co-existence constitutes a convincing argument for NATO membership”.

In addition, it is said that Kosovo's “involvement in the NATO alliance would serve as a counterweight needed to discourage hostile efforts and prevent another global disaster in the Balkans”.

And this is not the only initiative. Another resolution in Congress, initiated in late April by Torres, Self and Congresswoman George Latifer, highlights the United States' military presence in Kosovo, naming it as key to stability in the region.

During a meeting this week of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Self has again stressed that Kosovo has proven clear devotion to regional stability and strategic integration with NATO, so it should also be part of it.

Kosovo is, of course, one of the closest and most loyal European partners in the United States. In a short period of time, this new state has proven clear commitment to democratic governance, civil control over multiethnic security forces and co-existence all reinforce the argument for NATO membership and stability in the Balkans”, Self has said at the 13 May session.

The cabinet of Congresswoman Torres has also voiced support for Kosovo's NATO membership, but also for the continuation of the US presence in the KFOR peacekeeping mission.

“Congress hopes to see Kosovo's membership in NATO, two-party support to maintain the level of forces in KFOR and the dialogue process that does not reward Serbia with concessions and stubbornness”, Torres' Free Europe spokesman Benny Stanisawski has told Radio.

Kosovo's government has not answered Radio Europe's free questions about the way it interprets the latest resolutions at the American Congress, the eventual communications with the US or NATO, as well as the assessment of Kosovo's current position in the Euro-Atlantic integration process.

The NATO office in Brussels said only that any further step to consolidate alliance relations with institutions in Kosovo requires consensus from all allies.

We encourage institutions in Kosovo to consolidate good governance for the benefit of all people living in Kosovo. NATO remains fully committed to stability in the Western Balkans, including through the KFOR” mission, a spokesman for the alliance for Radio Free Europe said.

“open options” NATO is based on Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, which stipulates membership is open to any European “that is able to advance the principles of this Treaty and contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”.

Kosovo has long declared its goal for membership in the alliance and has taken steps in building security capacities in line with its standards, but the process remains blocked politically, as four NATO member states do not yet recognise Kosovo's independence, and any new enlargement requires the consensus of 32 allies.

Radio Free Europe has contacted the foreign ministries of these four countries of Spain, Greece, Slovakia and Romania to ask if they are considering reviewing their position on recognising Kosovo's independence.

Of them, only the foreign ministry of Slovakia has been declared, stressing that its position remains based on the 2007 Parliament Declaration, which links the resolution of Kosovo's status with respecting Serbia's requirements and international law norms, as well as the outcome of the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, eased by the European Union.

Observers say that, despite the rigid attitudes of non-recognition states, resolutions at the US Congress even though unobligative ʹ prevent Kosovo “from sinking into oblivion”.

In Mediu's words, this commitment also relates to US interest in maintaining balance in the Balkans and preventing increased Russian, Chinese and Serbian influences in the region.

I have the conviction that the United States of America, regardless of rhetoric, NATO is viewed as an extremely important element, not only for Balkan stability, but also for a broader geopolitical relationship and influence. And, in this context, there is definitely interest in Kosovo”, Mediu says.

Former senior official of NATO, Jamie Shea, estimates that activism in the American Congress should be understood more as establishing a long-term agenda than an immediate impact. He says it keeps Kosovo in Washington's political attention and creates room for a future possibility, when conditions in Kosovo-Serbia relations and within themselves NATO be more favourable.

But, frankly, until there is political stability in Kosovo, because three sets of elections in 18 months are not a good sign... so until there is more stability after the June elections, there is not expected to be a clear way forward in the Euro-Atlantic integration process”, says Shea for Exposeen.

Kosovo, in less than a month, will hold the third parliamentary elections within a period of one and a half years, as the previous two cycles failed to produce stable institutions due to a lack of consensus among political parties.

And, Mediu argues that NATO membership depends not only on American support, but also on political co-ordination and Kosovo's own internal commitment, in co-operation with allies.

In this context, it underlines the need for increased diplomatic and lobbying activities, especially in Washington, as well as for reforms structured according to NATO standards, remembering that a similar journey has preceded Albania's NATO membership in 2009.

“I think is one of the best developments that happened for Kosovo. For some reason... because, if we remember our history, this is how it started with statements, resolutions at the U.S. Congress. If we come, then, to an approval of the resolution in Congress, it turns into a thing that even determines the policies of the American State Department or American administration”, Mediu says.

He adds that the United States has crucial weight in NATO's decision-making and that it would be difficult for some member states to resist American pressure if Washington insists on Kosovo membership.

During the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on 13 May, Congresswoman Self demanded the deadlock of $1.8 billion in military aid to Greece, until Athens recognises Kosovo's independence, submitting an amendment to the ban on this annual aid, but was rejected by several democratic representatives.

Shea agrees that putting under pressure from non-recognition states is important, but adds that Kosovo cannot rely solely on the US, stressing the need for a more balanced approach towards Europe.

Kosovo should have a more balanced lobby effort and lobby as strongly in Berlin, Paris, London or Warsaw as in Washington. Support in the United States alone may have worked in the past, in the years of BAR90, but today is no longer an effective” strategy, Shea estimates.

In a similar line, Daniel Cerer, of Johns Hopkins University in Washington, notes the real limitations of the influence of the American Congress in the process.

“Resolates suggest considerable political support for Kosovo's NATO membership, but they do not force the administration. The President can ignore them. His authority in foreign policy is virtually unlimited”, says Cerer for Exposene.

At a time when world order is being rewritten and the balances of security are wavering, the United States is clearly signaling the reorganization of their military presence in Europe to the withdrawal of thousands of troops from Germany.

In this new reality, the very thing Mediu points to: the American presence in KFOR is not just military is a strong political message for US engagement in the region. And Kosovo, if it aims to exploit this geopolitical window, must come out of the logic of daily politics and move into long-term strategic action. / REL