Kosovo: How can Kosovars and Serbs peoples can be reconciled and can they learn to trust one another?

Source: European Parliament

From 17- 19 April a delegation of MEPs from the Foreign Affairs Committee visited Kosovo to talk to ordinary people living in the countryside, as well as politicians, about the situation two months after the declaration of independence. Perhaps the most pressing issue is how its Kosovar and Serb peoples can be reconciled and will they learn to trust one another? German Christian Democrat Doris Pack led the delegation and we asked her about some of the issues.

You met with Kosovo's President, Prime minister and the Speaker of its Parliament. What did you talk about?

We discussed the situation after the declaration of independence and the results of the political work over the last weeks. In particular, we discussed the constitution passed by Kosovo's parliament, which includes basically all the proposals from the Ahtisaari plan which was itself endorsed by the European Parliament last year. The "supervised independence" is based on this plan and focuses particularly on minority rights and decentralisation concerning the places where the Serbian inhabitants of Kosovo mostly live.

After the declaration of independence, there were riots in some parts of in the country. What is the current situation on the ground?

The violence was above all in the northern part in Mitrovica. There is evidence that it was really perpetrated not only by people living there, but also by people coming from outside. I think it was a special situation after the declaration of independence but at this moment we don't see any major problem. The majority of the population is cautious. Serbs in the north at this very moment are not violent - they have free peaceful demonstrations all the time.

What do you think it will take to reconcile the Serbian population to Kosovo's independence?

Reconciliation is something which has to be done on the ground. We met Serbian ministers, we met Serbian MPs who are in the parliament and the problem is that we had impression that in the last year a lot of time has been lost in not bringing people on the ground to trust each other. We were in a little village not so far from Priština where we met the people living there. There was a 60 year old woman who told me she has never been to the cemetery where her mother, father and brother were buried in 1999. So I said: "And why not"? She said "because I fear to go there". The problem is that they fear their neighbours and their neighbours fear them.

So I think more should be done on the ground. It means bringing neighbouring villages and normal people to live together, speak together and find a way to make a common life. They need to trust their neighbours.

Kosovo is under the administration of a UN mission (UNMIK). The EU has sent its mission to Kosovo (EULEX). However, the Serbs do not recognize the EU mission. Can the EU mission operate despite this lack of recognition from the Serbs.?

First of all we are not taking all the obligations from the UN Mission, UNMIK is giving its responsibilities to the government of independent Kosovo. The EULEX mission is there to improve the democratic infrastructure, to help the judges, to train the police. Regarding Resolution 1244 from the Security Council, some people say this mission is in accordance with the resolution and others say it isn't. So it depends on the willingness to accept it. I think we should wait for the elections in Serbia on 11 May, and then we should pick up this question once again. We are there because we feel that our help is needed. If there is interest, a legal basis should be found, can be found and will be found.

Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting Publisher of
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