Center for Research on Globalization, Canada
Dec 1 2007
Azerbaijan and Georgia are more afraid of the independence of Kosovo
than Serbia
Kosovo will start wars in Caucasia
Global Research, November 30, 2007
PanARMENIAN.Net – 2007-11-20
The leader of the winning Democratic Party in the parliamentary
elections in Kosovo Hashim Tachi announced that right after December
10 the authorities of the country will proclaim its independence. The
announcement made by Tachi evoked the predictable reaction of the EU,
as one of the members of the international `three’ on identifying the
status of Kosovo, which replaced the UN after the failure of the
Ahtisaari plan. The truth is that at present moment the UN is too
concentrated on the Near East, to really take an interest in the
Balkans and that’s why is willing to solve this problem as soon as
possible.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States call upon
the Kosovo Albanians to refrain from one-sided declaration of
independence, whereas Washington promises to recognize the
independence of the country already in January. Russia’s viewpoint is
clear; it is against the separation from Serbia and suggests `wide
autonomy’ instead. Practically the world found itself in a diplomatic
deadlock, which is fraught with inner tensions in the Balkans. The
truth is that the EU special representative for the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby is more optimistic about things. `I hope that the
declaration of independence of Kosovo will not become a destabilizing
factor in the Balkans,’ he said also adding that in this case the
disposition of the EU depends on the fact that the Kosovo problem is
a special case. `Every conflict has its own history, its specific
character and every conflict needs an individual approach, respecting
the international law. The resolution of the Kosovo problem must not
have any influence on the resolution of other conflicts but perhaps
it is inevitable that Kosovo will give birth to hopes or
apprehensions for other unsolved problems. Nevertheless, the EU is
always for the resolution of any kind of conflict exceptionally from
point of view of international law,’ emphasized the Finnish diplomat.
In his turn the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt
announced that Hashim Tachi must understand the difference between
the announcements made by an oppositional politician and by
responsible political figures.
Several years ago Carl Bildt was the active mediator in the
negotiations held over the issue of the status of Kosovo, which he
called `the most sensitive region in Europe, where any abrupt
movement may be fatal’. The EU representatives and the UN
Administration in Kosovo say that Tachi most probably will put the
declaration of independence off till a more suitable period, to
achieve a maximum support abroad. `Tachi will take an advantageous
position, but he will do nothing unless Washington and the EU key
Member States give him the permission. He very carefully follows
America’s advice. And they choose mid January,’ quotes the British
The Guardian the words of a UN official, working in the capital of
Kosovo Pristina.
By the way, the headquarters of NATO and UN in Kosovo have designed
contingency plans, taking into consideration several possible
unpleasant scenarios in the development of events, among them
inter-ethnical violations and massacres, attacks by the underground
military groupings of both parties, crisis and the seizure of the
Northern regions of Kosovo by Serbia, which will bring to separation
of the country. The fact that the creation of the seventh state on
the ruins of Yugoslavia is happening with the agreement of the
International Community, may have decisive consequences for the
neighboring countries. This is particularly applicable for Bosnia,
where the non-operating model of three-body state, invented by
Dayton, is still preserved, political instability is being observed,
and the Bosnian Serbs are looking forward to the Kosovo crisis coming
to a head.
The statements about the `Kosovo precedent’, which may be used in
resolution of conflicts in post-Soviet areas, and in particular in
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are not supported by the critics. The most
important thing is that independence of Nagorno-Karabakh was won and
not granted. This is a very important factor in conflict regulation
process. One thing is being granted this independence by someone and
another thing is to win it. Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t owe anything to
anyone. This is why Azerbaijan and Georgia are more afraid of the
independence of Kosovo than Serbia is. Everything is clear here, if
Kosovo is separated, there will be war. In case with Karabakh the
renewal of the military actions will end as quickly as they start.
And the thing is not in Armenia, the World Community has several key
viewpoints, which impede Baku’s efforts of `liberating their lands:
the Middle East is the phantom of the independent Kurdistan. Another
important factor that shouldn’t be left unmentioned is the oil
pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, gas pipeline Baku-Erzrum and the new
gas pipeline from Turkey to Greece and then to Europe. Unleashing a
new war in such conditions will put the entire world under a menace,
which is clear no one wants. According to Peter Semneby, Azerbaijan
develops very quickly and thinks it’s powerful, but this doesn’t mean
that it can resolve conflict with military or economic pressure.
These hopes of Azerbaijan are simply exaggerated.
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