Serbian-Kosovar relations

Serbian-Kosovar relations

Kosovo	Serbia

The relations between Kosovo and Serbia are the signs of the conflict over Kosovo's independence. The Republic of Kosovo - now recognized by 114 states - unilaterally declared itself independent from Serbia in 2008. The Serbian state continues to regard Kosovo as a separate component and claims to its former province. Serbian foreign policy tries to counteract the general recognition of the statehood of Kosovo.

Nevertheless, representatives of the two countries are conducting a dialogue aimed at normalizing bilateral relations.

history

background

→ Main article : History of Kosovo

The area of ​​Kosovo, once part of the Serbian Empire in the Middle Ages, then part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries, was militarily conquered and annexed by Serbia in the First Balkan War in 1912. The conflict over control of the predominantly Albanian province of Yugoslavia culminated in the Kosovo war in the late 1990s , as a result of which Serbia withdrew from Kosovo.

Kosovo independence in 2008

On February 12, 2008 , the Serbian government launched a plan to combat the anticipated independence of Kosovo. As a result, Serbian ambassadors were ordered back from states that recognize Kosovo . The Serbian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Hashim Thaçi , Fatmir Sejdiu and Jakup Krasniqi for high treason. On February 17, 2008, the Kosovar parliament decided to proclaim the Republic of Kosovo an independent state .

After 2008

Serbia has refused to work directly with Kosovo since the declaration of independence. The country only works with UNMIK and EULEX .

From 2011 a customs conflict occurred between the two countries . Serbia banned the import of Kosovar goods, and Kosovo responded with a ban on the import of Serbian goods. After the Kosovar government tried to enforce this ban at the border crossings of northern Kosovo , violent clashes broke out.

In February 2012, four Serbs from Kosovo were arrested at the border by the Kosovar police. They wanted to smuggle material for an upcoming election across the border. They were convicted of "inciting hatred and intolerance among ethnic groups ".

Since 2017

January 2017

In January 2017, Serbia tried to let a train with the inscription "Kosovo is Serbia" enter Kosovo . They did not succeed because special forces from Kosovo were dispatched to the Kosovar border and the police had stopped them at the border. The then Foreign Minister Aleksandar Vučić also ultimately called for the train to be brought back to Belgrade . The Kosovar President Hashim Thaçi described this act as attempted terror. The train was financed by Russia . The inscription was in 31 languages, including Albanian. As a result, Federica Mogherini called a meeting in Brussels at which the President of Kosovo and the then Serbian President met for dialogue . Tomislav Nikolić then threatened Kosovo with the use of the military.

January 2018

On January 16, 2018, Oliver Ivanović , a politician from the Serb minority in Kosovo, was shot dead by unknown persons in front of his party's headquarters in Mitrovica . The talks scheduled for that day between representatives of Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels were initially canceled after the murder.

May 2019

The Serbian president put the army in readiness after a police operation allegedly against smugglers took place in northern Kosovo.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Serbia recalls ambassador from US. In: bbc.co.uk. February 19, 2008, accessed December 28, 2017 . 
2. ↑ Canada recognizes Kosovo, Serbia pulls ambassador. In: cbc.ca. February 18, 2008, accessed December 28, 2017 . 
3. ^ Richard Meares: Serbia charges Kosovo leaders with treason. In: reuters.com. February 18, 2008, accessed December 28, 2017 . 
4. ^ Rule of Law Liaison Office. In: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo . Retrieved December 28, 2017 . 
5. ↑ Serbia / Kosovo: Halt Arbitrary Arrests. In: Human Rights Watch . March 30, 2012, accessed December 28, 2017 . 
6. ↑ The inscription on a train almost led to a military escalation in Europe. In: focus.de. January 18, 2017, accessed June 10, 2018 . 
7. ↑ "We sent a train, not a tank". In: zeit.de. January 15, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017 . 
8. ↑ Serbia threatens Kosovo with the army. In: ntv.de. Retrieved December 28, 2017 . 
9. ↑ Important Serbian politician shot dead in Kosovo. Die Welt from January 16, 2018
10. ^ Adelheid Wölfl: Kosovo politician Oliver Ivanović: Execution of a peacemaker. on derstandard.at, accessed on January 16, 2018.
11. ↑ Nervous Balkans , Novaya Gazeta, May 28, 2019
12. ↑ Serbia puts army in combat readiness , oe24, May 28, 2019-05-29
13. ↑ Kosovo declares Russian UN diplomats an undesirable person , Nau, June 1, 2019