Kosovo from 1999 until today

Abstract

This essay assessed Kosovo's trajectory towards independence from 1999 up-to-date. This issue is worth examination, as it remained a very hot topic for several years and still attracts international attention, with it's latest incidents. For this purpose, the author analyzed the actions of both the Serbian and the Kosovar authorities in relation to the country's independence. The talks were proven to be a fiasco, as both sides were unwilling to compromise, in order to reach an agreement and the international organizations didn't implement a common foreign policy in the country. At the same time, the stance of the international community on the matter is meticulously analyzed, especially after the Kosovar (unilateral) declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008. It could be said that, the countries which refuse Kosovo's independence only come to the defense of their standpoint with one argument in many different ways. The third chapter of the essay studies closely the efforts of Kosovo to participate in international organizations as an independent state, in relation to the Serbian counter-actions and the reactions of the international community. The issue of Kosovo appears to be as a zero-sum situation, in which Prishtina and the countries that recognize it's independence stick to the ruling of ICJ, whereas Serbia along with the refuters argue that this act is against international laws. The methodological tool of analysis applied in the paper is the political analysis of primary and secondary sources related to the Kosovar international relations. Finally, special reference is made in questions, possibly raised by the research and the writing of this paper, along with potential subjects for further investigation.