PanARMENIAN.Net

Which factor prevails over the resolution of the
Kosovo issue – political or economic?

Everybody wants to create opportunities for rational
development of the situation. If this happens in
future we will have chances for stable economic
development in Kosovo.
12.01.2008 GMT+04:00

The reasons underlying the resolution of the Kosovo
issue which is being pushed on by the USA and EU are
not only political but economic. The independence and
the urge to separation from Serbia besides the concern
for the Kosovo Albanians, pursue pure economic goals.
There is the region of Trepca in Kosovo, which is very
rich in minerals. Before the breakup of Yugoslavia
many countries exported zinc, cadmium and silver from
there. The coal that Kosovo possesses is valued very
high as well.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With the current prices for oil and
gas, regardless the ecology, the coal becomes one of
the alternative sources of energy. The coal
transportation to the USA is connected with many
difficulties, but for Europe the coal that Kosovo
possesses is of great importance. Besides all the
rest, the region has tin and chromium, which is enough
to invest money in its exploitation.

`Kosovo has enough supplies of natural resources to
become economically all-sufficient region by the
time,’ announced the UN Special Envoy for the Kosovo
status process Martti Ahtisaari. According to the
diplomat, the issues of the economic development of
the region of the country will become decisive in the
course of negotiations. `At present Kosovo is
significantly being subsidized by the international
donors, however, this region cannot endlessly rely on
the inflow of resources from the outside. Having
natural resources, which are hard to be extracted, one
should not think that the world tax-payers will
endlessly finance you. Everybody wants to create
opportunities for rational development of the
situation. If this happens in future we will have
chances for stable economic development in Kosovo,’
said Ahtisaari.

Kosovo’s independence is needed to cut Serbia off
these minerals. As always economic interests have
their influence on politics. The USA has started the
Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield, without liberating
Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, for sake of big reserves
of oil. The same may be said about the invasion of
Iraq under the pretext of abolishing the weapon of
mass destruction possessed by Saddam Hussein, which
hasn’t been found till today.

When it is said in the West that there will be no
Kosovo precedent, normally the economic factor is
meant. It is natural that Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Transnistria and moreover Nagorno-Karabakh in the
economic plan, or to be more exact in energy sphere,
are of no interest to the USA or EU. Another thing is
that they all stand in the way and comply with the
interests of Russia.

It turned out that Kosovo’s independence is handy for
everyone. It is also of great importance for Serbia as
well, but the Serbs are not ready for anything yet,
and will hardly be in the near future. As a result,
the everlasting method of resolving such kind of
conflicts remains the war, though all the interested
parties say that `they are not going to allow any
military decisions to be taken.’ It seemed like Turkey
was also of the same opinion as the USA, but then it
simply started bombing Northern Iraq. President
Abdullah Gul, after his visit to Washington says that
this is not possible. The same will be in the Balkans,
i.e. the scenario of 1999, when Kosovo during the mass
confusion caused by the breakdown of Yugoslavia
started the war against the Serbs, may repeat.

The Kosovo Independence Day declared by Hashim Tachy
is not so far. They intend to part from Belgrade for
once and for all on February 3, this is the deadline
set by the USA and EU, when the second round of the
elections in Serbia will take place. `It’s a sure
thing, since the Americans have already promised
independence to Kosovo. But if Washington recognizes
Kosovo and the European countries don’t, we will face
a huge disaster,’ writes The New York Times. We will
have to face disaster in any case, and unfortunately
the Balkans will become the cause of the war, like it
has happened several times throughout the history.
«PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department