While this event finally concludes the struggle for self-determination for Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, I personally believe that this is also the beginning of a new chapter for the wider international community. For Kosovo, it is the beginning of new challenges no longer marked by political repression and war, but rather by new efforts to restore stability, stimulate its war-torn economy, establish diplomatic relations with other states and prepare for integration into the EU.
For the international community, on the other hand, Kosovo's independence marks the beginning of dealing with three new challenges. First, it must decide how to integrate the Balkans into Europe, which is frequently recommended as necessary to the region's long-term success. Second, the international community will have to respond to self-determination movements in other stateless nations that might try to follow Kosovo's example. Third, the world must confront the fact that there is no internationally accepted standard by which new entities that emerge as states can be addressed in the future. A U.N. resolution requiring the approval of only the five permanent U.N. Security Council members does not have to be the only channel for setting international law, nor does it represent the most globally inclusive system for determining international legitimacy. Broad recognition of Kosovo's sovereignty - 19 states have recognized it so far, and more than 31 states are expected to do so in the near future - represents much greater support in my opinion. The United Nations leaves the solving of the greatest international conflicts to the discretion of only the five Security Council permanent member states. But the council has consistently failed to take unanimous action since its 1990 intervention in Kuwait. It has never since passed a resolution that has solved a major world political conflict.
Critics have focused on the new country's financial viability. Given Kosovo's record, some say that it may end as a financially failed state. The irony is that the economy has performed poorly only because of political instability and Kosovo's nebulous international status, not because the country lacks the capacity for growth. In fact, there are many signs that the country will do very well in the future. Kosovo is rich in minerals and has the second-largest lignite deposit in Europe. Further, given the increasing demand for additional electricity in the region, Kosovo could become a major exporter of power. Thirdly, its geographic and demographic factors make the country a very attractive destination for investment, especially given its predominantly young population, a major asset on an aging continent.
In the long run, Kosovo's independence will hold a positive outcome for Serbia as well. It doesn't take sophisticated cost-benefit analysis to understand that Serbia's obsession with Kosovo has been detrimental to its own political, economic and social development. Serbia now has the opportunity to let go of the past, abolish its ethnic, religious and identity politics and embrace the future by looking toward the West and EU integration. Its ties to the East have not yielded much besides false hopes. The first step in this direction for Serbia, however, should be its restoration of recently broken diplomatic relations with the United States and European powers. Serbia should accept reality and start practicing defensive rather than offensive politics.
During Kosovo's declaration of independence last Sunday, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said, "Kosovo Serbs are part of our system. We are ready to move with them to build a future founded on European values and European institutions." I confess it was difficult for me to comprehend such a reality. The very same people who deprived me of the most basic human rights, burnt my home, expelled me from their country, made me a refugee and committed genocide against ethic Albanians are now being extended an invitation to live peacefully in a sovereign and multi-ethic Kosovo. I must say, it is this kind of courage that makes me proud to be a Kosovar. And it is this kind of humane values that makes my country deserve its independence.
Florentina Mulaj is an MPA candidate in the Wilson School from Pristina, Kosovo. She can be reached at fmulaj@princeton.edu.
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