Friday

29th Mar 2024

Opinion

Kosovo needs German help to fulfil EU potential

  • German chancellor Angela Merkel has already done a lot for Kosovo (Photo: European Parliament)

Germany has provided copious and critical support to Kosovo stability and state-building in recent decades.

But in its current role as president of the Council of the European Union, Germany can play an even more constructive role by focusing on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on normalising relations.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

An agreement on mutual recognition would enshrine Kosovo's independence within its current borders and mark an end to the last violent conflict that took place in Europe in the 20th century.

And a deal between Belgrade and Pristina would be incentivised by the EU's decision to approve visa liberalisation for Kosovo passport holders.

Visa-free travel would signal that Kosovo is welcome in the European family.

German-Kosovo cooperation spans decades.

Germany welcomed Kosovo-Albanians and others fleeing Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

As Serbia intensified its oppression in Kosovo, German federal authorities generously provided sanctuary to victims of violent conflict.

After Nato's intervention, in which Germany participated, Germany was also a leading provider of humanitarian assistance.

It supported the reconstruction efforts of UN agencies during Kosovo's transition from relief to development.

To prepare Kosovo for self-rule, Germany worked through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to help develop Kosovo's democratic institutions. Germany backed the EU rule-of-law mssion in Kosovo (Eulex), providing judges, public prosecutors and civilian experts.

Kosovo's minority rights arrangements, which represented the gold standard in pluralism and inclusivity, paved the way for Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February 2008, which Germany supported.

Germany remains a staunch supporter of Kosovo's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.

Kosovo officials and members of the German federal government work together closely.

Members of the German Bundestag are engaged in Kosovo through bilateral contacts, as well as via the Council of Europe and various parliamentary bodies.

The idea to divide Kosovo, which was raised during recent negotiations, was strongly opposed by Germany, the UK, and other countries.

Kosovo Albanians feel indebted to German chancellor Angela Merkel for upholding Kosovo's independence and territorial integrity.

German money

Economic cooperation has been equally extensive.

Germany is one of the largest bilateral donors to Kosovo, providing more than €600 million for relief and humanitarian assistance since 1999.

In recent years, Germany has emerged as one of Kosovo's principal trading partners.

The current scope of development cooperation encompasses public administration, energy, and sustainable economic development.

The coronavirus pandemic has refocused Germany's assistance to Kosovo's public health sector.

And even more can be done to build on this extensive track record.

Through the Berlin Process, launched in 2014 to support the EU's future enlargement, Germany and EU partners can expand assistance to Kosovo's democratic institutions and economic development.

They can serve as a platform for countering corruption, which is critical to both prosperity and democratisation.

German troops served as a security partner by participating in the Kosovo Force (Kfor), when Serbian soldiers withdrew from Kosovo.

And Germany supported UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which put Kosovo on the path to independence.

The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) was established in 2009 and Germany can help the KSF develop its capacity, enhancing its participation in Nato's Partnership for Peace Programme and readying Kosovo for Nato membership.

But amid all this, the citizens of Kosovo place great importance on visa liberalisation, and look to Germany for support.

Though Kosovo meets all criteria for visa liberalisation, political backing is needed so Kosovo passport holders can travel freely throughout Europe.

All EU countries have already found ways to recognise Kosovo's passport, except Spain, one of the five member states that do not recognise its independence, along with Cyprus, Greece, Romania, and Slovakia.

Germany should pressure the five non-recognisers to drop their objections.

Their recognition would also boost the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, led by EU special envoy Miroslav Lajčák and foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.

Lajčák, in particular, has close ties with Germany.

Catalyst

And, while an EU-brokered deal on normalising relations would catalyse recognition, recognition is not dependent on such a deal.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has upheld the legality of Kosovo's independence declaration, finding that it conformed to international law.

If Spain is concerned that recognising Kosovo sets a precedent for independentists in the Spanish region of Catalonia or beyond, the ICJ was clear that Kosovo's declaration was "sui generis", which means "in a class by itself" and "unique".

The Kosovo case does not set a precedent, nor is it reversible.

Meanwhile, Kosovo and the EU signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on October 27, 2015.

The SAA provides a comprehensive framework for dialogue between Kosovo and the EU on political ties and alignment of foreign and security policy.

Once the agreement is fully implemented, Kosovo will enter accession talks leading to eventual membership in the EU.

As president of the EU Council until December 2020, Germany is well placed to help intensify mediation, encourage non-recognisers, fast track visa liberalisation, and support implementation of the SAA.

Kosovo pledges to do its part.

However, it needs help from Germany, the US and other friendly governments to realise its potential as a member of the Euro-Atlantic community.

Author bio

Alush Gashi is a political and foreign policy adviser to Kosovo prime minister Avdullah Hoti. He previously served as health minister and a member of parliament. David Phillips is director of the Program on Human Rights and Peacebuilding at Columbia University in New York. He was also senior adviser to the US sate department, working closely with US ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke. Phillips is the author of a book, called: Liberating Kosovo: Coercive Diplomacy and US Intervention.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

Kosovo to restart EU/US-led Serbia talks

Restarting talks on Serbia relations will be the new Kosovo prime minister's top priority, he said, but will the EU or the US lead the process?

Spain to recognise Kosovo if it gets Serbia deal

Spain would be prepared to recognise Kosovo if it clinched a deal with Serbia, Madrid has said, in the first positive signal of its kind since EU-brokered talks resumed.

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Column

EU's Gaza policy: boon for dictators, bad for democrats

While they woo dictators and autocrats, EU policymakers are becoming ever more estranged from the world's democrats. The real tragedy is the erosion of one of Europe's key assets: its huge reserves of soft power, writes Shada Islam.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us