Farewell Pristina

I traveled back to the U.S. yesterday, leaving behind this interview in English, published by Pristina’s Daily Express in Albanian:

Q.  Finally there is a government in place in Belgrade, a few months after the elections there. What are the chances now for a dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, and the possibility of achieving eventual results?

A.  It is too early to tell.  The new prime minister Ivica Dacic has said some good things:  he will give priority to Serbia’s economy, he is demoting the bureaucracy that is dedicated to Kosovo, and he says he will implement the agreements already reached with Pristina.  But we have not only to hear what the new government says, but see what it does.

Q.  On Friday there were contradictory signals in the Serbian Parliament during the government’s oath. Prime minister Ivica Dacic said that he will remain committed to keep Kosovo within the Serbian borders, but he appeared ready to continue the dialogue and to implement the agreements reached.

A.  The Serbian constitution requires that Kosovo remain part of Serbia, so really Dacic has no choice about that.  Serbia’s politicians created an enormous obstacle for themselves when in that the 2006 constitution.  Continuation of the dialogue is not an end but a means.  Let’s see if he fulfills the promise to implement the agreements already reached.

Q.  What do you expect in the following phases as regards the relations Kosovo-Serbia? Can they be normalized soon?

A. I expect very little, but I do hope Serbia will recognize that its own interests are best served by normalization.  Normalization means to me that Belgrade and Pristina should have representatives in each others’ capitals and accept each others’ territorial integrity.  Belgrade is still far from that.  I’m not sure Kosovo is quite ready for that either.

Q.  How do you view the Kosovar diplomacy compared to the Serb one?

A.  Serbian diplomacy is well-established and has been tactically very good: it has slowed recognitions and gained the presidency of the General Assembly.  It has convinced too many countries that independent Kosovo is a threat to regional peace and security.

But I don’t really see what good any of that will do in the end.  Recognitions are coming and will continue to come.  The General Assembly presidency will end in a year, when I hope to see Kosovo with well over 100 recognitions.

Serbia lost its case at the International Court of Justice when it asked for an advisory opinion on Kosovo’s declaration of independence, and its policies in northern Kosovo have created serious problems with organized crime and political violence that have already delayed the opening of Serbia’s negotiations for EU membership.

Slowing things down really doesn’t help Belgrade if it hurts Serbia’s EU prospects and the eventual outcome in Kosovo is the same.

Q.  There was criticism that Kosovo diplomacy has not functioned properly. How do you see this?

A.  You are up against a tough and experienced opponent with longstanding ties around the world and backing from Moscow. Kosovo’s diplomatic apparatus is still young and under construction–you are little known in many parts of the world.  The European Union has split on Kosovo, with five members not recognizing.  You have often had to rely a good deal on the Americans, especially in Latin America and Asia.  You have made good progress in Africa lately.  You are not going to win every battle.  But ultimately Kosovo will be a UN member and well accepted in the international community.  It already is in many places.

Q.  Should Kosovo change something as regards diplomacy, in order to increase the number of recognitions, as well as improve the image of the country?

A.  Kosovo needs to use every resource available to project its reality abroad.  Its women are proving a particularly strong asset.  Arta Dobroshin and Majlinda Kelmendi are helping you tell the world that Kosovo is a creative and talented country.  Vlora Citaku is providing leadership in preparation for the European Union.  The “Empowering Women” conference that President Jahjaga will sponsor in Pristina in early October is another good example.

My own family is surprised when I tell them how peaceful, safe and normal my visits to Pristina are.  The end of international supervision gives you an excellent opportunity to tell the world that this is a country that meets its international obligations and will continue to do so even after formal international supervision comes to an end.

One of the most important things you need to do is project Kosovo’s reality to people in Serbia, where the press never ceases to portray circumstances here as chaotic, violent and unfriendly to Serbs.  That image is also harmful to you in other countries.

Reaching out to ordinary Serbs and showing them that Kosovo knows how to treat people of all ethnic backgrounds fairly is a patriotic thing to do.

All countries in the democratic world are judged in part by how they treat their most disadvantaged minorities.  America handicapped itself for many years on the world stage by not treating minorities correctly at home.

The human rights of Serbs, Roma and other citizens of Kosovo have to be fully protected if Kosovo is to be seen as a serious democracy worthy of international recognition.   Implementation of the Ahtisaari plan has helped you a great deal.  Continuing efforts in this direction will also pay off.

Q.  You are in contact with Kosovo officials. Do you think that there are competent people in the Kosovo diplomacy?

A.  Yes, I do believe your diplomatic officials are a wonderful, talented group of well-trained and highly committed people working under the strong leadership of Enver Hoxhaj.  I am pleased to collaborate with them.  The resources they have to work with are necessarily very limited, so they need to be clever and creative in generating opportunities to showcase Kosovo abroad and pursue its interests effectively.  You are never going to have embassies like the American one I ran in Rome 20 years ago, which had 800 employees.  But a few good Kosovars can work wonders if they are willing to work together and apply their limited resources in well-focused ways.