Ugly diplomacy in the Balkans
Today’s Serbia National Day message from the State Department includes this tidbit:
I am pleased our two countries recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create liaison positions for Serbian diplomats within the U.S. Department of State. This unique program will not only foster a better understanding of our respective foreign policy goals and objectives but will forge new channels of communication and build lasting partnerships.
This comes after avowal of support for Serbia’s EU ambitions and the umpteenth plea for Serbia to support Ukraine.
Where this leads
Serbia is not an allied country. It is not a member of NATO or a major non-NATO ally and has a policy of military neutrality. It has not joined the Western sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. In fact, Belgrade is largely out of alignment with EU foreign policies it has promised to respect.
But the State Department has decided it can “win over” Belgrade. It is doing so by providing goodies up front. State is supporting Belgrade’s “Open Balkans” initiative, which aims at removing border barriers between Serbia and Serb populations in neighboring countries. State is also supporting Belgrade’s proposal to separate governance of the Serb-majority population of Kosovo from Pristina’s authority through creation of an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.
That will create another de facto “Republika Srpska.” Bosnia’s Republika Srpska is now preparing to refuse the authority of Sarajevo’s courts. We can expect the same in Kosovo, if the Association is formed with the executive powers Belgrade seeks.
Ugly diplomacy
There is, sadly, more to the illogic of what the Americans are doing. Washington says it is supporting the EU-sponsored dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. That aims at “normalization” of their relations. Having Serbian foreign service officers in the State Department while the dialogue proceeds will arouse understandable suspicions in Kosovo.
Such liaison officers learn a great deal about the inner workings of US diplomacy. Even if assigned to roles far from the European Bureau, the signal Washington is sending is clear: we favor Serbia’s perspective in the dialogue. The only way to make this move palatable is to offer the same to Kosovo in two days time, when it is Kosovo national day.
The heavy lean of the Americans toward Belgrade is ugly diplomacy. It favors the less friendly party while making the more friendly party uncomfortable. Washington expects its favors to Belgrade returned in some indefinite future, while demanding Pristina agree to Open Balkans and the Association right now. It won’t be hard for Belgrade to agree to “normalization” that includes validation of Serbia’s authority over the Kosovo Serb population. Once that is done, Serbia will expect the analog in Bosnia and Montenegro.
What Washington isn’t doing is delivering what Kosovo wants: Serbian recognition and membership in the United Nations. “Normalization” could come to mean international recognition for the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities but not for Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is hard to imagine a worse outcome for Pristina.
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7 thoughts on “Ugly diplomacy in the Balkans”
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. Serbia took the day to recognize a dubious US temp diplomat who served Trpp craven nationalism. For shame.
. some moderate diplomats are rotating out and might be better informed and allied for Serbia citizens’ European aspirations.
Even though the current Serbian president and leading party are not representative of the whole country, nor are they democratic in any sense, I hope you are aware that there is no legitimacy for the independence of province of Kosovo, neither legal nor ethical. Stories about war crimes and ethnic cleansing are legitimate in the same way as stories about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction – never proven, and even if they are legitimate thats not a reason for forcefully making the province independent. Criminals on both sides should be held liable, we should help independent country of Serbia to practice its sovereignty on the whole territory, including its province of Kosovo. If it’s legal to forcefully take another country’s province, this is a precedent which we don’t need anytime soon. I am sure that Serbian stance for joining NATO would change for the better if we were clear enough in our relationship and actually righteous in dealing with unilateral declaration of independence of its southern province. Whole country cannot be held liable and humiliated in such a way, if we want to be righteous and fair we should take the right direction and clear position in this issue.
The Brussels Agreement, with the Serb Association at its forefront, is a mutually signed and ratified legal obligation which was signed under the auspices of the EU. I understand Daniel that you’re being paid to advocate for Pristina’s interests. But no amount of kicking, screaming and crying can change the fact that the Serb Association must be implemented in its original format. And of course, this does mean that Serbia has the right as per the Brussels Agreement to directly finance this institution of self-rule. Tell your friends!
Lest anyone have doubts: I am not being paid by anyone to write anything that appears on peacefare. Those who accuse me of that betray their own values more than mine.