Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Daniel Fried, has spoken about Kosovo and the situation in its north, stating that Kosovo is a sovereign state but must use its rights intelligently.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe, Fried emphasized that Kosovo needs to do everything possible to make it clear that its future lies with Europe.
“I was very closely involved in Kosovo’s independence. During [former U.S. President George] Bush’s administration, I was one of the earliest advocates, and I negotiated with the European Union and European countries, so I know the history there. From the American perspective, Kosovo is a sovereign state with rights, but it needs to use those rights intelligently, not just by taking bold stances and then letting others do the hard work of dealing with the consequences.
The main objective is Kosovo’s position in the world, in Europe, and hopefully in the European Union in the future. But this needs to be done in a sustainable way, and not in a way that creates disputes between Kosovo and its friends. Whose interest is that in?” he said.
Asked what needs to change under new leadership to get the dialogue back on track, Fried replied:
“Serbia wants to keep one foot in Europe, one foot in Russia, and some movement towards China. This is a known game, and it seems a better idea for Kosovo not to play a similar game but to work with the European Union to strengthen its own position. Yes, the dialogue may have difficulties, but if the problem, according to Kosovo, lies in Serbia’s unwillingness to accept that it has lost Kosovo through its own actions, then Kosovo should do everything possible to make it clear that its future is with Europe, and hopefully one day with the European Union, just like Serbia, which helps minimize these problems.
He further added that the dialogue should ultimately lead to mutual recognition, recognizing Kosovo as a European state.
“However it ends, there must be mutual recognition, recognition of Kosovo as a European state with a European future. Plus – this should also be part of the agreement – that it should be recognized that Serbs in Kosovo are not foreigners, they are not dangerous extraterrestrials, there should be no element of suspicion or disdain, but they should be seen as a component of Kosovo. It is in Kosovo’s flag.
And, if the Serbs in Kosovo are not comfortable with the border, the final answer is EU membership. The border disappears. It’s brilliant, it’s simple. Keep your eyes on the reward: an independent Kosovo, in the European family, with rights for all the inhabitants of Kosovo,” he said.
