Partition of Kosovo
Encyclopedia
Partition of Kosovo is hypothetical future partition of the territory
of Kosovo
between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Kosovo
. Partition was proposed several times, as the final solution for Kosovo status process. Partition was proposed as a solution even before Kosovo independence precedent.
. North of the river is a predominantly ethnic Serb
majority area, whereas South of the river is a predominantly majority ethnic Albanian
area. There are also several Kosovo Serb enclaves
south of the river Ibar, which have been proposed to be included in a possible partition of Kosovo. In North Kosovo
is the regional government called the 'Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija', which is loyal to Belgrade
; whereas the rest of Kosovo is administrated by the government
of the 'Republic of Kosovo
'.
proposed partition and stated that "I agree that the dialogue is the only path, in scope of which issues which seem to be impossible at the moment should also be discussed, such as the division of Kosovo... I do not see why the international community would not agree on the division if Belgrade and Priština reached an agreement on the issue. All details of such resolution of the Kosovo stalemate could be agreed at some kind of 'Kosovo Dayton', with the international community as the guarantor of the accord". - Former EU Kosovo Envoy Wolfgang Ischinger
in August 2011 stated regarding the partition of Kosovo that "that such ideas are absolutely unacceptable.. That will not happen, it must not happen." - Kosovo's former Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuqi said regarding a possible partition of Kosovo that "We want to help create cooperation between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo — not divisions.".
Partition (politics)
In politics, a partition is a change of political borders cutting through at least one territory considered a homeland by some community. That change is done primarily by diplomatic means, and use of military force is negligible....
of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
. Partition was proposed several times, as the final solution for Kosovo status process. Partition was proposed as a solution even before Kosovo independence precedent.
Drawing the Line
The partition of Kosovo generally refers to dividing Kosovo South of the Ibar RiverIbar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
. North of the river is a predominantly ethnic Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
majority area, whereas South of the river is a predominantly majority ethnic Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
area. There are also several Kosovo Serb enclaves
Kosovo Serb enclaves
Kosovo Serb Enclaves are the areas of Kosovo where Serbs form a majority, except for North Kosovo. While North Kosovo is connected to the rest of Serbia and mostly functions as a part of it, the enclaves are surrounded with areas of Albanian majority....
south of the river Ibar, which have been proposed to be included in a possible partition of Kosovo. In North Kosovo
North Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
is the regional government called the 'Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija', which is loyal to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
; whereas the rest of Kosovo is administrated by the government
Government of Kosovo
The Cabinet of Kosovo is the collection of Kosovo institutions that exercises executive authority in Kosovo. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, and also includes the deputy prime ministers as well as various ministers.The Prime Minister is elected by the Assembly of the Republic...
of the 'Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
'.
Reactions
- Albanian Prime Minister stated in November 2011 that "Dividing Kosovo is an absurd idea and respecting the borders of Kosovo is of essential interest for all the countries in the region." - Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Erhard BusekErhard Busek
Erhard Busek is a politician from the Christian-conservative People's Party . At present he is Coordinator of the South-Eastern Cooperative Initiative and Chairman of the Institute for Danube Region and Central Europe among other things.Busek was chief of the party and Vice-Chancellor of Austria...
proposed partition and stated that "I agree that the dialogue is the only path, in scope of which issues which seem to be impossible at the moment should also be discussed, such as the division of Kosovo... I do not see why the international community would not agree on the division if Belgrade and Priština reached an agreement on the issue. All details of such resolution of the Kosovo stalemate could be agreed at some kind of 'Kosovo Dayton', with the international community as the guarantor of the accord". - Former EU Kosovo Envoy Wolfgang Ischinger
Wolfgang Ischinger
Wolfgang Friedrich Ischinger is a German diplomat. He was Germany's ambassador to the Court of St. James's from 2006 to May, 2008...
in August 2011 stated regarding the partition of Kosovo that "that such ideas are absolutely unacceptable.. That will not happen, it must not happen." - Kosovo's former Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuqi said regarding a possible partition of Kosovo that "We want to help create cooperation between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo — not divisions.".
-
- Members of the ruling majority in the Parliament of Serbia believe that any partition of Kosovo and Metohija can be one of the ideas for resolving the Kosovo problem, which is strongly opposed to the radicalsSerbian Radical PartyThe Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
and liberals believe that arrived too late. - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica DačićIvica DacicIvica Dačić is a Serbian politician. He is the leader of Socialist Party of Serbia and is First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Internal Affairs....
proposed the partition of Kosovo as a solution to the Kosovo dispute. He stated that "This is my opinion, although neither Belgrade nor Priština like it. However, I am a realistic politician and I don’t see any other solution... I think that the only realistic solution is that places where Serbs live stay in Serbia and that the other part where the Albanians live secedes. This is the only realistic way that can lead us to a quick solution... Other solutions are a waste of time and years and decades would go in an attempt to solve those small issues". - Former Yugoslav President Dobrica ĆosićDobrica CosicDobrica Ćosić is a Serbian writer, as well as a political and Serb nationalist theorist. He was the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993...
proposed the partition of Kosovo. He stated that "I have been talking and writing about Kosovo and Metohija in vain for 40 years now, proposing a democratic, just, compromise and permanent partition. This is the only way to overcome centuries-long antagonism between Albanians and Serbs... [and that it would] stop the great Albanian expansion and create conditions for normal life of both peoples". - MacedonianRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
president, Gjorge Ivanov, supported the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, and said that Macedonia is against partition of Kosovo, as that may destabilese the region. - James Ker-Lindsay, senior research fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, stated that the partition of Kosovo is a logical solution. In an interview for "PolitikaPolitikaPolitika is a Serbian newspaper. It is considered the newspaper of record and is the oldest daily in the Balkans, having been founded on January 25, 1904 by Vladislav Ribnikar. It is currently being published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines , a joint venture between Politika AD and...
" he stated that Belgrade in the future few months may have a chance to fight for the division of Kosovo and the establishment of large autonomy for Serbs in Northern Kosovo. - Ivor Roberts, the former British Ambassador to YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, supports the partition of Kosovo. He stated that, " the Partition of Kosovo will please neither side, but the equality of pain is more likely to lead to stability than present Western plans which will undoubtedly destabilise Serbia, and through Serbia the whole region." - US diplomats warn that European 'vacillation and weakness' could entrench Serbian control over the northern part of the territory. "Failure to act soon means losing northern Kosovo and will reopen the Pandora's boxPandora's boxPandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
of ethnic conflict that defined the 1990s," then US ambassador, Christopher DellChristopher DellChristopher William Dell is a career United States Foreign Service officer who currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, after having been posted to Angola and Zimbabwe.-Education:...
, wrote this year. "The time is right to end the years of drift on the north and to alter the dynamic of a hardening partition between the north and the rest of Kosovo … The current situation is untenable and deteriorating. The aim is to stop the rot."
- Members of the ruling majority in the Parliament of Serbia believe that any partition of Kosovo and Metohija can be one of the ideas for resolving the Kosovo problem, which is strongly opposed to the radicals