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| KOSOVO AND THE DOMINO EFFECT 13/02/2008 |
| (2008-02-13) |
| Last updated: 2008-02-14 18:37 EET |
The proclamation of the independence of Kosovo, a Serb province with a majority ethnic Albanian population, generates fears that other break-away regions in Europe will be encouraged to seek international recognition of their independence. This amounts to a domino effect, writes France Press, which cites the break-away tendencies of the Basques and the Catalans in Spain, of the Flemish in Belgium and the Scots in Britain. To this adds Transdniester, a majority pro-Russian province which broke away from the Romanian speaking Republic of Moldova in 1992. The reactions of the states faced with separatist issues are therefore justified. Spain has already announced that it would not recognise Kosovo’s unilateral independence, invoking the failure to reach a consensus among the states in Europe, stability in the Balkans and respect for international law.
A member of the European Union since 2007, Romania is a supporter of Serbia’s territorial integrity. Thinking about Transdniester, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, and about Hungarian separatism inside its own borders, Romania de jure stands against Kosovo’s acquiring statehood. While this is an important fact, in reality, there are elements pointing to the fact that Bucharest might surrender in the end, having already joined the decision of the majority of EU states. Romania is already contributing indirectly to the Albanian province’s acquiring statehood by its participation in the EULEX European Mission in Kosovo.
These are just a few factors that justify Romania’s relative ambiguous position vacillating between maintaining good neighborliness relations with Serbia and its duty as a EU member state. Let us not forget that the Serb authorities have said repeatedly that Belgrade would rethink its relationship with the states who recognise Kosovo’s independence, and Romania does not want hostile neighbors. Its relationship with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are tense enough, and Bulgaria and Hungary are sources for potential territorial disputes or disputes related to ethnic minorities.
Also, Transdniester said it would seek the recognition of its own statehood if Kosovo achieves independence, a possibility categorically denied by Romania, the advocate of the Republic of Moldova’s territorial integrity. On the last hundred meters, Brussels has been using every available diplomatic instrument to persuade reluctant member states to recognise Kosovo’s independence.
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