Some people would argue that these people should be allowed to declare independence, if that's their game.

Others would argue that such an act would reward terrorist actions and create "Greater Albania" teeming with drug lord lords, gun runners, and other bad guys.

But no matter what anybody says, it looks like Europe will have yet another microscopic Balkan state.

What is the EA consencus on this issue?

[note: please refrain from attaching any significance to my avatar when discussing this issue. Thank you]

My impression has been that the potential for renewed civil war is great should Kosovo stay within Serbia, and that Serbs have little use for Kosovo other than as a tool to promote Serbian nationalism and authority. Plus, I can't imagine either place is especially interested in expending diplomatic and police resources to support peaceful unity. Three good reasons to get the hell out, I suppose. There's also the "autonomous region" option - we see how well that's working in Pakistan.

What I don't know is if Kosovo's independence could be destabilizing to other countries, namely Albania. Is there any interest from Kosovars in actually becoming part of Albania rather than a separate state?

the people of kosovo should be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination as opposed to being a feather in the hat of serb-nationalists.

they have more than their fair share of troubles in recent times and i think have earned the right to decide how best to proceed.

seems like a bit of a sideline issue in modern political scenes and especially in the media but I for one hope people have learned the lesson of ignoring problems in this region of the world.

Mazec wrote: "Greater Albania"

I read this as "greater Albini" at first.

Mark Hansen wrote:

Mazec wrote: "Greater Albania"

I read this as "greater Albini" at first.

Funny .... kind of tragic, in a way. You want a Greater Albini and you end up with a Greater Albania...

I have a lot of Serb friends, and studied the issue as a part of my final year at university.

The heart of the problem is that Kosovo is a part of Serbia and has been for a number of centuries, and that Albanians have come to be the majority seems to be a moot point. There are a lot of Amish in Pennsylvania, that doesn't give them cause to demand a separate state.

The region is too unstable at the moment and the last thing it needs is for a ceded Albania to stir up ultra-nationalism in Serbia.

All right, I guess that's settled, then.

I'll take it from the man with encyclopedic knowledge.

Mazec wrote:All right, I guess that's settled, then.

I'll take it from the man with encyclopedic knowledge.

Easy there tiger, no need to go all "Bob", I was offering my opinion, which is just that, an opinion. You asked for people to tell you what they think... and I did. In a way I thought wasn't the least bit Bobish.

I'm interested to hear your - an anyone else's - take on this one.

That was not meant to be a sarky remark, Gramsci.

It's just that I had never before noticed the title you bear as a result of your high post count and was briefly blown away by it.

At any rate, I am very much in agreement with your statement. I, too, have a number of Serb friends, and was impelled to examine the issue more closely because of that than I otherwise would have.

Furthermore, it seems as though the media has simplified the shit out of this issue and taken advantage of the US/Western European ignorance and indifference toward the Balkans to create a black and white scenario where the poor widdle Kosovar Albanians are portrayed as the Jews and the Serbs, of course, are the Nazis.

It's amazed me how effectively this media approach has affected peoples' thoughts on the matter. The ones that have any thoughts on it, that is.

Gramsci wrote

The heart of the problem is that Kosovo is a part of Serbia and has been for a number of centuries, and that Albanians have come to be the majority seems to be a moot point.

I'm slightly confused, is it that you consider it a moot point or Serb Nationalists consider it a moot point? How can the democratic process of self determination be set aside in favour of historical claims over a geographical area?

There are a lot of Amish in Pennsylvania, that doesn't give them cause to demand a separate state.

Bad analogy. Whether or not a homogenous group of people gets to set up a state or not usually depends on favourable political conditions and recognition of that state from the international community. As of the UN proposals of Feb 2007, there are clear indications that such recognition will be granted to Kosovo, so in this respect Kosovo gets to demand a separate state.

And in what meaningful sense is a country which is 90% ethnic Albanian and not governed by Serbia a part of Serbia (Other than in the hearts and minds of Serb Ultra-Nationalists). I feel very bad for serbs remaining in Kosovo, I understand that they have been subject to reprisal attacks and that the creation of a Kosovan state would likely mean a mass exodus of Serbs from Kosovo, but the current interim situation can not be expected to go on indefinitely.

The region is in an economic and social rut, it has up to recently had a negative GDP and the Albanian and Serbian communities remain segregated and hostile. I believe a gradual granting of sovreignty to Kosovo is the best that can be done in a bad situation. It's bound to be unpopular with Serbian Nationalists, but with any luck KFOR will be able to keep a lid on things for the first few years and Kosovo will emerge as the workable independent state.

And Mazec your insinuation (if it really is yours) that an independent Kosovo would

reward terrorist actions and create "Greater Albania" teeming with drug lord lords, gun runners, and other bad guys.

is both an entirely one sided reading of recent history and a total irrelevance. Lets not forget both sides engaged in intentional killing of civilians, labelling one side as terrorist and criminal hardly legitimises the other.

Furthermore, it seems as though the media has simplified the shit out of this issue and taken advantage of the US/Western European ignorance and indifference toward the Balkans to create a black and white scenario where the poor widdle Kosovar Albanians are portrayed as the Jews and the Serbs, of course, are the Nazis.

I only saw BBC coverage, it was very level. Time to find a new TV channel.