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KOSOVO: EUROPE'S SIDELINED CHALLENGE

PublicSeminar organised by the Embassy of U.K. in Vienna,the European StabilityInitiative and the Vienna Diplomatic Academy( Vienna, March,15 2012)Remarks byAmbassador (ad.hon.) Alexandros Mallias,Special Advisor to ELIAMEP ( Athens) On May 91950,Robert Schuman made history by  suggesting  the visionary idea of creating aCommunity of  pacific interests .Indoing so,he extended a hand  to yesterday'senemies .The idea was based on the concept and concrete proposals  drafted by  Jean Monnet.

The SchumanEuropean  Declaration,  was clear;I quote: “...It is no longera time for  vain words ,but a bold,constructive act...For Peace to have a chance, there must first be aEUROPE...''. Robert Schuman  guidedby a realistic approach underlined that ''...Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a singleplan.It will be built through achievements  which first create a de facto solidarity...''.Since  Homer,the way to Ithaka has always beenan individual  as well as a  collective journey.  My generation was and  still is the most pro-Europeangeneration in Greece. EUROPE  hasalways been my ideology, synonymoys to freedom, democracy, human rights andsolidarity. This has always been my own Europe.Today,this  Europe of empathy,sympathy  and solidarityappears  inreasingly distant tomany Greeks. Since the era of Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War , hegemonismas concept and as  practice is   omnipresent. The ''Melian  Dialogue '', between the powerful andhegemonic Athenians and the week Melians who tried through negotiation to avoidthe catastrophe  of their city ,isa masterpiece of exercice of relentless superiotity  aiming at the capitulation.Allow me toquote here two sentences from this Dialogue:MELIANS: Andhow could it turn out as good  forus to serve  as for you to rule?ATHENIANS: Becauseyou will have the advantage of submitting before suffering the worst,and weshould gain by not destroying you.                                                                                          This isexactly the kyrion symptom  intoday's Hellas.Hellenes , at least a clear   plethora of them ,identify themselves with  the Melians.I  humbly  invite those who distinctly  assume  the role of hegemony  of the  European Enosis to revisite Thucydides . There are somelessons to be learnt.Now back toour Balkan microcosmos.  I was  enthusiastic  to accept the invitation to  join a Kosovocentric  seminar,under the xenia  of  this august  Diplomatic Academy. The theme of the dialogue ''  testing the European Union's limits ofsoft-power'' is particularly attractive to me. It is always good to know thatour Europe remains a ''soft power''.Notwithstanding,the  present icon  of ellipsis of adequate European    strategy  at a  ecumenic level , coupled by the characteristic absence ofvision ,cohesion and homegeneity during the historic episodes of the Arab Spring,my   logos  isclear:Theenlargement process open  since theThessaloniki  2003 European Summit,to all Balkan countries,is the indispensable    smart -power mechanism,the catalyst for changingattitudes and policies. It is also the generator of dynamics , praxis and synergies  for solving problems.The Europeanintegration  Odyssey, is  the epitome of  compromise.Mysyllogism  is that the  Brussels unfinished symphony ofFebruary,24 orchestrated by Serbia and Kosovo and conducted by RobertCooper,paved the Euro-drome for Serbia's accession   to the Union.It is  also clear that,history  and symbolism apart,thissymhony    synchronisesthe  Commission's anaphora  ( feasibility study) for the Republicof Kosovo. In practice, Serbia's horizon into the European Union will generate  thenecessary  positive energy anddynamics  also for the Republic ofKosovo. In thiscontext,March 27 ,will be an important day for Kosovo,for  the Balkans and for the European Union.I seize thisopportunity to praise the  leadersin Prishtina  and Belgrade for theFebruary 24,Brussels Agreement.President  Boris Tadic and Prime Minister HashimThaci were compelled to  makecompromises in order to get  toyes.The outcome is '' Win-Win''for Kosovo and for Serbia. They bothdisplayed political pragmatism and received o good  amount  ofinternational praise.Now ,both  have to come to terms withthe  so-called ''politicalcost''  at home.Antithesis  to the Brussels  symphony   was vocal in Belgrade and  loud and clear in Prishtina.Notwithstanding   their differences on statusrelated issues  both Serbia andKosovo decided that their integration into the  European Union mainstream  asks forcompromises. For sure,this one must and will  be  followed by others.      OnGreece  and Kosovo.Kosovo isour neghbour .Our youngest neighbour. My thesis isclear  and publicly stated inPrishtina ,in Tirana  and of coursein Athens.Prishtina's KOHA DITORE,Tirana's  GAZZETA SQUIPITARE and several greek  media aswell, published  my  article titled ''Greece and ourAlbanian neighbours”.I advocatethe need and indeed the necessity for a fresh and holistic  diplomatic entreprise for a ''new deal''between Greece and Albania as well as a deal  between Greece andKosovo . I was toldthat it is very ambitious and rather complicated. Also,that is risky.I respondthat  there is no leadershipwithout ambition and without risks.At least this is a plan.If there is a better  lease  take it.Here are thebasic points :                                                                                     -Athens and Prishtina should enter into a stuctured politicaldialogue with the aim to  concludea legally binding  bilateral basicdocument ; a Treaty .-      Thisdocument would and should match  Greece's interests and respond to its concerns. For the Republic ofKosovo ,the outcome will be also clear:Recognition .   Whatever is said or argued  in relation with its present   potential and capabilities ,mostly  behind closed doors,in reality  Greece matters for Prishtina.-       In parallel,Kosovo's recognition   by Greece should  become the catalyst  in  revitalising the relations between Tirana and Athens.They  suffer for some time now fromlack of political will and  mobility,innovative thinking and commitment to overcome existing putsolvable issues.-      Letme also emphasize that  Greece   has  a rather  difficult  press in Tirana.Media  commentaries , echoed  onthe spot in Greece,  coupledwith  anachronistic demands fromsome  political groups ,do notgenerate the necessary political backing that  governments in Athensneed in order to move  on  Kosovo .                                                                                           Greece is  very  familiarwith Kosovo's journey to the European Union.It was  formally launched under the  2003 Hellenic Presidency of theEuropean Union.Ideed,the Presidency's Programme included the following formulation:“ Themodalities of the inclusion  ofKosovo in the Stabilisation and Association Process will have to be addressed,with full respect of  Resolution1244 and within the concept '' European standards before status''.Today,this  formulation appears to be ananachronism to the Kosovars. Nine years ago , was  more than important. For the first time Kosovo, under  specific terms,was invited to be included in the SAP .Kosovo wasindeed present in Thessaloniki.The presence of late President  Ibrahim Rugova and then PrimeMinister  Bairam Rexhepi  at the European Union -Western BalkansSummit  was  history in the making.TheThessaloniki Agenda  ,adopted bythe European Council on June 20,specified that '' The  European Unionreiterates its support for the full implementation of the UNSC 1244 and of the''Standards before status policy”.On this basis,the people of a multiethnic anda democratic Kosovo will have their place in Europe''. Furthermore,the operative part of theThessaloniki Agenda  contained  more elaborated  language on Kosovo including a call''on the importance to the dialogue between  Belgrade andPristina on practical issues of mutual interest''.Greecehas  declared its   intention  to organise during the 2014 EUPresidency  a kind of''Thessaloniki 2'' Summit meeting. Athens have the ambition  to use this event  in  order to '' reset the button'' in the EU-Western Balkans  relations. Icannot  think of    ''Thessaloniki 2''  with the question of recognition  of Kosovo  remaining unsettled . At least , as far as Greece  is concerned.On the basisof a '' win-win'' structured process involving Athens and Prishtina, as well as Greece and  our Albanian neighbours.- InfoGnomon