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By Mehdi Hyseni, Ph.D.
The best way forward for Serbia is to recognize an independent Republic of Kosovo, because it would be accelerated its path of integration into the EU and NATO.
That would be useful and rational political decesion of official Belgrade, not every hour to declaire that Serbia wants to have strong ties with Rusia, to bring back Kosovo under its colonial and neocolonial rule, and herewith to join European Union (EU) as a full member like the other Balkans countries such are Bulgaria, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia. But this political strategy of Belgrade is too wrong and unbelievable to be realized in practise because of the fact that Kosovo got its independence on February 17, 2008) which it means that doesn’t belong more to colonial Serbia (1912-1999).
If Serbia wants reconciliation and good relationships with Albanians of Kosovo, first, its official leadershop must recognize Kosovo as an independent neighborhood state because until now Kosovo has been recognized by 108 UN countries. This reality have to be accepted by Serbia. First of all , by amending its Constitution of 2006, where Kosovo is stipulated as "Serbia's province", that in fact isn't neither de facto nor de jure.
Serbian official authorities should be aware that Kosovo can not turn back as their former colony (1912-199) because that time of 100 years is already gone. Today, Kosovo is independent and sovreign state. Hence Serbia’s leadership must recognize this uncontested reality, not deny every day that "Serbia will never recognize Kosovo", because this wrong road leads not in the restoration and normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
There’s no doubt that if Serbia continues its previous politcal strategy of Slobodan Milosevic that “Kosovo is Serbia”, then should not hope that one will get the support of Washington and European Union (UE) to be a member of the EU or NATO.
The Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said that “Serbia’s priority is joining the EU, but if the condition for membership would be for us to recognize Kosovo’s independence, that would be a sign that the EU does not want us.” (!)
On the contrary, if the EU seeks from Serbia that must recognize Kosovo’s independence if she wants to join the EU, this requierement(condition) does not means that EU “doesn’t want Serbia” as its the president Nikolic, said because of Kosovo is not more an ilegal colonial province of the Republic of Serbia. So, all Serbian official politicians have no more authority and any kind of right to blame or hate the Euorpean Union or the United States of America why they are demanding the recognition of Kosovo if Serbia wants to join the European Union(EU).
Even if, now, the EU does not require that Serbia must recognize independent Kosovo as a condition to be joned the EU, this does not mean it will not happen tomorrow, this must be clear to the Belgrade official leadership because the Kosovo independent status and Serbia’s European integration aren’t two separate processes, but only one which means that for Serbia there will be no integration in the EU or NATO without recognition of the independt Kosovo.
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