John Austin

Labour Party | Erith and Thamesmead

KOSOVA

I commend Lord Russell Johnston for the quality of his Report. I share his and Ban Ki-moon’s view that the “Status quo is not sustainable” and constitutes a threat to regional stability.  For that reason it is a European issue and it is clear from the negotiations and the speeches here today that a consensual agreement is out of reach.
Like Lord Russell Johnston, I believe that the proposals of Martti Ahtisarri presented the best way forward, supervised independence for Kosova with safeguards for minorities. UN Resolution 1244 does provide a legal basis for international action and does underline Kosova’s uniqueness.

Serbia has a clear choice. Does it want EU membership alongside its near neighbours Croatia and Macedonia or does it wish to remain isolated in Europe?  Independence for Kosova is not only in the best interests of the Kosovars it is in the best interests of Serbia, drawing a line under the past and enabling Serbia and Kosova to plan a European future together.

No reasonable person could expect Kosova to accept Serbian sovereignty given the recent history.  Kosova was an autonomous region of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with its autonomy guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and. it was Miloševic, who unilaterally revoked that autonomy in 1989. We must remind ourselves that the break-up of the former Yugoslavia was not consensual and although crimes were committed on all sides, the armed conflict was provoked by one side.  You cannot expect Kosovars to accept Serbian sovereignty given the recent history of mass violence, repression and mass expulsions.  It is only eight years ago that we saw 1 million Kosovars expelled at gunpoint and loaded on to trains and forced to seek refuge, mostly on Macedonia and Albania.

Some speakers have spoken of the danger of creating a precedent, but Kosova is unique.  It is not the Basque country or Catalonia – these are regions which have a long history within a long-existing state.  It is not Republika Srpska, which is a level of government established by international agreement within an existing country.

Kosova was an autonomous region of a state that ceased to exist. But under the Constitution of that state, it had its own language, its own Universities, its own Supreme Court, its own National Bank and an equal status with the Republics in the rotation of the Presidency of the Federal Republic.  It was this that was unilaterally destroyed by the Serbs under Miloševic.

The reality is that Kosova will declare independence and that a majority of countries will recognise it.  It would be better for Serbia and better for Europe to accept reality.