12 years since Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence: How Serbs and Albanians see this day

In Kosovo and Metohija, Albanians today mark the 12th anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence. At the Assembly session in Pristina on February 17, 2008, the unilateral independence of so-called Kosovo was proclaimed by the then Prime Minister of Provisional Pristina Institutions Hashim Thaci.

The declaration of independence, which was at the time approved by 109 members of the Assembly during a session were only members of the Serb community did not participate, stated that "an independent Kosovo would be committed to peace and stability" and that a state would be "formed on the basis of Martti Ahtisaari's plan."

From the unilateral declaration of independence to the refusal to comply with the provisions of the Brussels agreement, the unconstitutional formation of a "Kosovo army" - to the failure of attempts to join Interpol, which then caused the introduction of taxes on goods from Serbia and from Bosnia and Herzegovina, much has happened in these 12 years. The epilogue is the deadlocked dialogue, while both sides seem to be never further away from returning to the negotiating table.

What happened on February 17, 2008?

At a session held in Pristina on February 17, then Prime Minister of Provisional Institutions Hashim Thaci declared independence, recognized by eight countries only a day later: Afghanistan, the United States, France, Albania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Australia and Senegal.

An emergency session was held on February 18 in Belgrade, when the Serbian parliament confirmed the government's decision to annul the unlawful acts of the provisional bodies of self-government in Kosovo and Metohija that proclaimed unilateral independence. On the same day, ambassadors were recalled from those countries that recognized Kosovo's independence.

Then President of Serbia Boris Tadic spoke at a session of the UN Security Council, convened at Serbia's request, to ask the UN secretary-general to dissolve the Kosovo Provisional Assembly and annul its decision on independence. Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon did not do so, but stated at the session that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 remained the valid legal framework.

The Interior Ministry filed criminal charges against the president and the prime minister of Kosovo, as well as the president of the Kosovo Assembly for "organizing the proclamation of a false state on Serbian soil."

In June 2008, Kosovo got its anthem and a new Kosovo Constitution entered into force.

At the request of Serbia, the UN General Assembly adopted on October 8, 2008 a resolution requesting that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague gives its opinion on the question: "Does the unilateral declaration of independence by the provisional institutions of self-government in Kosovo violate international law?"

On July 22, 2010, that court found that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence itself did not violate international law, Resolution 1244, or international legal order in Kosovo.

Dialogue blocked after introduction of taxes on Serbian products

The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has been blocked since representatives of the provisional institutions started a "trade war" when they introduced taxes of 100 percent on products from central Serbia and from Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 21, 2018.

Pristina chose this path after suffering a fiasco in its attempt to join Interpol at a session of the General Assembly of that international police organization in Dubai. The idea was to force Belgrade to stop its "campaign" for withdrawals of recognition of the self-proclaimed Kosovo independence.

Pristina authorities justified the decision on taxes with "an aggressive campaign against Kosovo." Ramush Haradinaj, at the time the prime minister of so-called Kosovo, informed the public via his Facebook account that the decision was effective immediately.

Following this, Belgrade decided to withdraw from the dialogue and to this day remaines on that position - that it would return to the negotiating table once the taxes have been abolished.

Although senior officials from several countries have been urging that the taxes must be abolished, Pristina has not reacted, and on December 14, 2018, they formed the so-called Kosovo army.

Assembly members supported draft laws on the Kosovo Security Force, the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo and on service in security forces.

What is the stance today of the countries that recognized Kosovo's unilateral independence?

The decision to withdraw recognition of Kosovo's unilateral independence has been made by 17 countries, according to Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Although Pristina denies this, Belgrade has evidence in its hands, official diplomatic notes.

Of the 117 countries that Pristina claims have recognized Kosovo's independence, Nigeria, Uganda and Mali have never done so in the first place, while 17 others have withdrawn the recognition decision, the head of Serbian diplomacy said earlier.

"There are also countries on their list that officially say they have frozen the recognition decision, such as Egypt and Peru. That list Pristina has of 117 countries has been completely debunked, our goal is to bring that number below 97, which is less than half of all UN members, because it's important for us to that they have the prospect of failing when voting takes place on (Pristina's) membership in international organizations," Dacic told TV Pink earlier.

The head of Serbian diplomacy pointed that Serbia had strengthened its foreign policy position also after a UN Security Council session in New York, when he emphasized that "for the first time no one urged (countries) to recognize so-called Kosovo" during the session.

How will Albanians mark the 12th anniversary of Kosovo's unilateral declaration

Deputy Prime Minister of so-called Kosovo Haki Abazi said the 12th anniversary of the so-called independence of Kosovo will be marked by a series of events. He announced the raising of the flag attended by the prime minister and the president of the assembly, as well as the commander of the Kosovo Security Force, KSF.

Flowers will then be laid at the grave of the first KLA commander, Adem Jashari, in the village of Prekaze in the Srbica municipality, as well on the graves of Ibrahim Rugova and Adem Demaqi.

Following this a formal session of the Assembly of Kosovo will be held at which Kosovo Assembly President Vjosa Osmani will speak.

The newly-elected Prime Minister of Provisional Pristina Institutions Albin Kurti and Osmani will then visit the KSF barracks named after Adem Jashari and address its members there.

This year there, the customary parade of the KSF and the Kosovo police will not be held.

(J.N.)