What is the religion in Kosovo. History of the Kosovo conflict
KOSOVO (REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO)
KOSOVA (REPUBLIKA E KOSOVЁ)
D.V.ZAYATS, A.O. KOSHELEV
(The article is given in abbreviation)
The self-proclaimed state of Kosovo occupies the territory of the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, which is part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Kosovo lies inland, 85 km from the Adriatic coast. In shape, the edge resembles a rhombus, each of the diagonals of which stretches along the Balkans for about 145 km. The main part of the territory of Kosovo is an elevated plain, which is divided into two approximately equal intermountain basins: the eastern one - Kosovo, or Kosovo Field, - part of the gigantic range of the Danube basin * and the western - Metohija, along which flow the tributaries of the Drin - a river that carries its waters to Adriatic. Mid-mountain massifs rise along the perimeter of the region: Mokra Gora, Rogozna and Kopaonik - in the north, Golyak and Crna Gora - in the east, Shar-Planina - in the south and Prokletie - in the west.
Map of Kosovo
Kosovo's neighbors** are Albania and Montenegro (in the west), Macedonia (in the south), Serbian lands (in the north and east). The length of Kosovo's border with Albania is 114 km. parts of Kosovo's borders are disputed by Kosovo's leaders. In socialist Yugoslavia, the autonomous region occupied an area of 10.9 thousand km2, but nationalist Kosovo Albanians believe that at least three more Serbian communities outside of Kosovo proper should be part of their state: Presevo, Buyanovac and Medvedzha. These lands, located in the South Morava basin, east of Pristina, as well as in Kosovo, are predominantly Albanian. After the "liberation" of Kosovo from the Serbs, the leaders of the radical Albanians are hatching plans to seize these border areas from Serbia. The number of militants of the so-called Presevo Liberation Army, who participated here throughout 2000 in clashes with the regular forces of the Yugoslav army, according to various estimates, ranges from several hundred to five thousand people, most of whom went through combat training in the ranks of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA ).
Population
Number. The last official population census was carried out in Kosovo back in 1981, and it is now difficult to establish the real demographic and ethnic picture of the region. According to estimates by the Center for Demographic Research, in 1997 about 2.3 million people lived in the region. Kosovo has the highest population density in the region: 210/km2. In neighboring Montenegro, comparable in size, only 680 thousand people live.
Folk dance of the Kosovo Albanians
Demographics. Kosovo is one of the two territories of the former Yugoslavia (the other being Macedonia) where the gender balance is skewed towards the male population. This feature, typical for Islamic countries, is rather unusual for Europe, but it is quite understandable: the region in cultural and historical terms is more a fragment of the East than integral part West. The natural increase in Kosovo in 1997 was 2.1% - a very high figure for Europe, which has long been in the zone of a demographic crisis. Due to the high birth rate (27‰*** in 1997), the proportion of younger ages is large: children under 15 account for more than a third of the population. The expanded reproduction of the population is characteristic mainly of Kosovo Albanians, who call themselves Kosovars. Rapid demographic growth has become one of the elements of the Albanian strategy for the gradual dissolution of the Serbian community of the region. Another way to increase the demographic pressure on the Serbs, tried in the post-war decades, was the illegal migration of Albanians across the Yugoslav border. New migrants were in no hurry to register at their place of residence, and therefore the real size of the Albanian population in the region was hidden from the Serbian authorities.
Ethnic composition. The forced increase in the proportion of Albanians in the population of Kosovo led to the intensification of interethnic conflicts in the region. Previously, the Serbs and Albanians, although they were not friendly peoples (too many accounts accumulated between them over the centuries of living together), still did not deny each other the right to live on Kosovo soil. Over a relatively short period of time (60 years), the proportion of Albanians in the region's population increased from 60 to 90% (Table 1). The campaign against Albanian extremists carried out by the regime of S. Milosevic and, to a much greater extent, the bombing of Kosovo by NATO aircraft led to the fact that the Albanian population began to leave the region en masse. The total number of Albanian refugees from Kosovo in 1999 reached, according to some estimates, 700-900 thousand people.
Immediately after the actual surrender of Belgrade and the cessation of hostilities, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. The Albanians gradually began to return to their homes (some of them, using the status of refugees, managed to settle in the prosperous countries of Western Europe), the Serbs, feeling their insecurity in front of the KLA militants celebrating their victory, pulled out of the region to the north. UN observers note that in June-July 1999 alone, about 130,000 Serbs left Kosovo, more than half of the region's Orthodox community. In October 2000, according to the new president of the FRY, V. Kostunica, only 75,000 citizens of Serbian nationality remained in Kosovo. But they are not free in their movements either, since the few places where Serbs gather, taken under the protection of the military contingents of NATO and Russia, have in fact turned into a kind of ghetto, separated from the outside world by barbed wire and concrete barriers. In an effort to create an ethnically pure state, the Kosovars are trying to "cleanse" the region from other national minorities: gypsies, Montenegrins, Macedonians. At the same time, they deny the right to exist even to their fellow Muslim Slavs, believing that they should recognize themselves as pure-blooded Albanians.
Table 1
Ethnic composition of Kosovo in 1931-1991
Population of Kosovo, thousand people |
|||||
Albanians, % |
|||||
Montenegrins, % |
|||||
Muslim Slavs, % |
|||||
Total |
100,0 |
100,0 |
100,0 |
100,0 |
100,0 |
* Estimates given due to the boycott of the 1991 census by Kosovo Albanians.
** In 1931 and 1991 this number includes Montenegrins, Turks and Muslim Slavs.
Religious composition. The conflict in Kosovo is undeniably aggravated by the fact that, in addition to ethnicity, there is also a religious divide between the opposing sides. Albanians, as well as Turks and not most of Slavs living in the region profess Sunni Islam. Mosques with high minarets are a characteristic feature of the panorama of any major Kosovo city.
Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren
Gracanitsa Monastery (XIV century) near Pristina
But Kosovo is also the cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy. Dozens of monasteries are located here, during the difficult time of Ottoman rule (in 1557) here, in the city of Pec, the Serbian Patriarchate was established. The influence of Orthodoxy was also reflected in the name of the western part of the autonomous region - Metohija (in translation - church lands). There are dozens of Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo, the largest - Gracanitsa near Pristina and Decane near the city of Pec - have existed since the 14th century, hundreds of churches. The religiosity of both confessional communities in Kosovo is very high, therefore both Serbs and Albanians are determined to defend the religious shrines on the land of their ancestors to the end. The presence on the territory of modern Kosovo of national relics of Serbian Orthodoxy makes the Albanians' demands for independence completely unacceptable to the Serbian side.
Map showing the location of Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo
The quality of life of the population is low. A quarter of the population of the autonomous region does not have full primary education. The illiteracy rate, unique for Europe, is 18% in 1981 (the latest data that deserves to be trusted). Moreover, among women, illiteracy exceeded 26%! Infant mortality is 55 people. per thousand born. Such a difficult social situation is primarily due to the difficult economic situation of the region as part of Yugoslavia, which has been living under economic sanctions from the world community for almost ten years now. The situation is aggravated by uneradicated feudal vestiges in public life, many of which, for example, elements of Islamic law, are peculiar atavisms that have been preserved since the existence of Ottoman Empire. Even the high natural population growth is more, perhaps, evidence of the low level of economic and social development Kosovo: low economic activity, especially for women, the lowered status of women, the decisive role of religion in family relations.
The main social problem of the region, which cannot be solved by any ethnic cleansing, is the problem of unemployment. Already in 1990, unemployment covered up to half of the able-bodied population, which was primarily a consequence of the rapid demographic growth of the Albanian community of the region and the inability, and possibly fear, of the Serbian authorities to create new jobs for the Kosovars. In 1997, even before the outbreak of full-scale hostilities, the number of unemployed was estimated at 860 thousand people, or 65% of the working population. A high population growth annually supplies about 30 thousand pairs of working hands, but with a steady decline in production, it is almost impossible to find a use for them. Young people join the ranks of the unemployed or (which in recent times increasingly common) ranks of illegal armed groups.
Central street of Pristina - the main city of Kosovo
Urbanization and cities. Kosovo is predominantly a rural area. About 35% of the population lives in cities. The largest city is the capital of the Pristina region (with suburbs of more than 300 thousand inhabitants). Other big cities(Population is given according to Albanian sources): Pec (85 thousand inhabitants), Prizren (70 thousand), Kosovska Mitrovica (68 thousand), Djakovica (60 thousand). outside the region, spreading to the adjacent territories of Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia. Many cities of the region, along with Serbian ones, also have Albanian names, for example, Pec - Peya, Djakovitsa - Djakova, Gnilane - Djilane, Srbica - Skenderai. It is the Albanian transcription of Kosovo toponyms that has recently been preferred by the Western media.
Modern status and administrative structure
De facto, a dual power has now developed in Kosovo: the region is simultaneously controlled by an international administration representing the participating countries of KFOR (peacekeeping forces in Kosovo), and the organizational structures of the Kosovo Albanians, formed "from below" on the basis of local branches of the KLA. The province has a parliament and government of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, a constitution has been developed (it is considered adopted in September 1990), local authorities are being formed that represent the interests of the exclusively Albanian community. On October 28, 2000, parliamentary elections were held in which the moderately nationalist Democratic League of Kosovo, led by Professor Ibrahim Rugova, won a landslide victory over the party of prominent KLA field commander Hashim Thaçi. Belgrade does not recognize the legality of the institutions of power created by the Kosovo Albanians, but does not exclude the possibility of raising the status of Kosovo within the framework of the Yugoslav federation.
De jure Kosovo, the territory of Serbia, one of the two republics that make up the new Yugoslavia. The detailed international status of Kosovo has not yet been determined, since neither the Republic of Kosovo nor the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - the new union of Serbia and Montenegro - are officially recognized by most countries of the world. True, the situation has changed significantly with the recent coming to power in Belgrade of a new president, V. Kostunica. Yugoslavia gradually began to emerge from international isolation, it began to be restored in European and world integration structures, which causes poorly concealed dissatisfaction with the current Pristina regime.
The development of the political situation in the region is monitored, practically without interfering in the ongoing events, by the peacekeeping forces to maintain peace in Kosovo. The territory of Kosovo in June 1999 was divided into five sectors of responsibility largest countries NATO. The northern part of Kosovo, where the proportion of the Serb population is higher, became part of the French responsibility zone (the headquarters of the contingent is located in Kosovska Mitrovica), the central part of Kosovo Polya and the Poduevskaya Valley entered the British sector (headquarters in Pristina), the east and southeast of the region are controlled by American peacekeepers (headquarters in Gnjilane), the sector of Italy is limited to the northern part of Metohija (headquarters in Pec),
Russian peacekeepers do not have their own sector. Their areas of responsibility are located in different parts of Kosovo: Kosovska Kamenica in the American sector of KFOR, Malishevo in the German sector, Devicha in the French sector, Slatina airport (the only one in the region) in the British one. By number of personnel Russian troops make up 7-8% of the total KFOR contingent. Their share in the controlled territory is approximately the same.
The official language is Albanian, the Serbian minority uses Serbian, the working language of the international peacekeeping forces is English.
State symbols. The flag of the Kosovo Albanians, which has now practically become the official flag of Kosovo, copies the national flag of the Republic of Albania: a black double-headed eagle on a dark red cloth (apparently, another reminder of the former symbols of powerful Byzantium). Albanian banners, which were previously banned, can now be seen everywhere in Kosovo: on administrative buildings, at roadblocks, on the facades of houses. Not one of the numerous demonstrations of the Kosovars can do without the appearance of a banner with a black eagle. The KLA has its own flag, also based on the Albanian flag.
* A small area in the south of Kosova Pol belongs to the Aegean Sea basin.
** Decline or not incline the name of Kosovo - this question does not have an unambiguous solution. Russian names - Ivanovo, Borodino, Izmailovo - are usually declined (Ivanova, Ivanova, in Ivanovo). There is no question of non-Slavic names (Bordeaux, Glasgow) - they are not inclined. Non-Russian, but Slavic names (Rivne, Grodno, Brno) are sometimes inclined in the languages of their peoples, but not in Russian. Therefore, we decided to accept the non-declining option here. - Approx. ed.
*** Estimates are given due to the boycott of the 1991 census by Kosovo Albanians.
**** During the existence of the SFRY - Titova-Mitrovica. This toponym can still be found in the latest atlases, but it is no longer used in modern Yugoslavia.
******** It is curious that the areas of responsibility that were defined for the military contingents of NATO countries coincide with the areas of their economic interests. It can hardly be called an accident that the French occupied the northern sector of Kosovo, because French businessmen have been eyeing the Trepca mining and smelting plant five years ago. The UK chose the sector in the center of the province, apparently because British firms during the ongoing privatization in Serbia showed interest in the energy companies located there. The Italians control the city of Pec, where the Yugoslav-Italian Zastava Iveco joint venture was located.
Kosovo- partially recognized state located in South-Eastern Europe. Kosovo is located on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, therefore it is one of the Balkan countries. According to the Constitution of Serbia, Kosovo is part of this country and is called the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Most of Kosovo is not subject to Serbia. The population of Kosovo is 1,733,000 people. The capital is the city of Pristina. Other major cities of the country are Pecs, Prizren. The largest city in Kosovo is Pristina. There are no cities with more than 1 million inhabitants in Kosovo. Kosovo is located in the same time zone. The difference with universal time is one hour.
Kosovo is landlocked. The partially recognized country borders Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia.
Kosovo is a country with mixed relief. There are mountains and there are plains.
Forests cover half of the country's territory. Most of the forests are located on mountain slopes.
The Shar Planina mountain range and the Kopaonik mountains pass through Kosovo. The highest point in Kosovo is Mount Deravica. The height of this peak is 2556 meters.
The most major river Kosovo - White Drin. Other famous rivers in the country are Sitnica, South Morava, Ibar. There are many lakes in Kosovo. Most large lakes- man-made. The largest lake in Kosovo is Gazivoda. Other large lakes are Radonich, Batlava, Badovac.
Kosovo has its own administrative-territorial division, divided into seven districts: Dzhakovitsky, Gnjilansky. Kosovsko-Mitrovitsky, Pech, Pristinsky, Prizren, Uroshevatsky.
Map
Roads
Kosovo's railway network is functioning, although all roads are in poor condition, trains are slow and often late. Main route in Kosovo —from Pristina to another large Kosovo city - Pec. Kosovo has no direct passenger communication with other countries, although railways the country is connected to Croatia and Serbia.
The roads in the country are in poor condition. There are no autobahns in the country.
Story
Kosovo has its interesting story, divided into historical epochs:
a) Prehistoric Kosovo - the conquest of the territory of the country by the Romans and joining the Holy Roman Empire (5th century BC), the invasion of the Celts and barbarians, the collapse of Ri ms Koi Empire (5th century AD), becoming part of the Byzantine Empire;
b) The period of the migration of the Slavs to the territory of modern Kosovo (the end of the 6th century) - the Christianization of the lands of Kosovo with the assistance of Byzantium;
c) Kosovo as part of the Bulgarian kingdom (X century) - the war of the Bulgarian kingdom and the Serbian kingdom for Kosovo, the defeat of the Serbs, the annexation of the region to the Bulgarian kingdom;
d) Secondary return to the Byzantine Empire (1018);
e) Kosovo within Serbia (since 1218);
f) Kosovo as part of the Ottoman Empire - since 1389, the forced Islamization of the population, the Austro-Turkish war (1593-1606), the resettlement of Albanians to Kosovo lands, the Albanian colonization of the region;
g) return to Serbia (since 1912);
h) Kosovo during the First World War (1914 - 1918) - military operations on the side of Serbia, defeat in the war;
i) Kosovo as part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (since 1929);
j) Kosovo during the Second World War (1939 - 1045) - entry into the Great Albania (1941), Italian occupation of the region (since 1941), occupation by troops German Wehrmacht(1943), liberation from the Nazi invaders (1944);
k) Kosovo as part of socialist Yugoslavia - since 1946;
l) Kosovo after the collapse of Yugoslavia (since 1991) - declaration of independence (1991), the beginning of the war with the army of Yugoslavia (1998), NATO countries joining the war (1999), the end of hostilities, elections to the parliament of Kosovo (2004 ), the secondary declaration of independence of Kosovo (2008), the recognition by the International Court of Justice of the legality of the declaration of independence from Serbia by the authorities of Kosovo (2010).
Minerals
Kosovo is rich in minerals. Of the strategic types of minerals in the country, there is only a lot of hard coal, but its mass production is not organized. Oil and natural gas not in Kosovo, the country is forced to import them from other countries. The country has many deposits of other minerals: lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, magnesite, bauxite. There are reserves of rare metals: indium, cadmium, germanium, thallium. There are many brown coal deposits in Kosovo. Chromium, copper, silver and a small amount of gold are also mined in the country.
Climate
The climate of Kosovo is continental. The winter here is cold and snowy. Summer, on the other hand, is very hot and dry.
Kosovo is a small piece of land in the south of the former Yugoslavia. Today it is a partially recognized state, since many countries, including Russia, do not recognize Kosovo's independence. Until now, the status of the country and its history causes a lot of controversy, in which Kosovo acts as a symbol of confrontation between the United States and Russia. Unfortunately for the country, it did not go beyond the role of a symbol in the political struggle of the superpowers.
Today, Kosovars are among the poorest people in Europe. In various ratings, Kosovo is usually compared in terms of living standards with Belarus and Moldova, but in appearance everything is much worse. There is practically no production of its own, with the exception of the enterprises of the Kosovo Steel Group, although the United States is going to build a military plant here. As of 2015, a third of the population of Kosovo lived on less than 1.42 euros a day. The unemployment rate here reaches 45%, and residents prefer to leave for other countries in search of a better life. Most migrants seek asylum in Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, while others settle in Hungary. Those who were able to leave send money to their homeland and live like that.
According to the World Bank, Kosovo demonstrates rather high economic growth rates for the Balkans - 3% last year (Montenegro - 3.4%, Serbia - 0.9%). But without constant investment from the EU and the creation of new jobs, the country simply will not survive.
They don't have their own money here, they use the euro. Back in 1999, the region adopted German marks in order to abandon the Serbian dinar. When Germany switched to the euro, Kosovo inherited this currency: the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) used the euro, and the Kosovars have not yet invented their own currency.
But since 2008, they have been printing their own passports, which can be used to travel abroad. Kosovar can travel to those states that have recognized the independence of the republic. There is no way to get into Russia, but they say you can get into China or Spain. Only Greece and Slovakia have officially announced that they do not recognize the independence of Kosovo, but recognize the passports of citizens of the republic and are ready to let them in.
In the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, Russia has always been on the side of the latter. But I did not notice any particular hostility towards the Russians in Kosovo, probably because Russia did not take active actions against the Albanian "liberators". Many locals, including Albanians, communicate quite friendly. Serbs have mixed feelings about Russians. On the one hand, of course, "brothers", on the other, there was resentment that Moscow did not really help to keep Kosovo in difficult years.
The main reason for the negative attitude towards the Russians in Kosovo can be our football fans, who at every match with the participation of the Albanian and Russian teams (whether national teams or clubs) continue to shout that "Kosovo is Serbia!" By the way, the other day Kosovo was also accepted into UEFA, so soon expect at least brawls in the stands.
A bit of history.
Once upon a time, the region was really Serbian, and the Serbian patriarch even sat in the city of Pec. Everything changed when the Turks came. Serbs from Kosovo were consistently ousted, although they fiercely resisted. The Albanians, on the other hand, liked the Turks with their Islam at first, so that already in the middle of the 19th century the population was divided 50 to 50. Then the Albanians decided that they didn’t really need the Turks either, and created their own state.
When Yugoslavia came together from small pieces in 1918, the Serbs hoped to drive the Albanians out of Kosovo once and for all. But then the Second World War happened. The Italians just took and annexed Kosovo to Albania. The Albanians were encouraged and drove out as many Serbs as they could. When Yugoslavia was nevertheless liberated, Tito set to work. He hoped to chop off Albania for himself, so he actively stimulated the next settlement of Kosovo by Albanians.
With the coming to power of Milosevic, the Albanian freemen ended, but then it was time for Yugoslavia to disintegrate. On September 22, 1991, the Republic of Kosovo declared independence, and Albania recognized it a month later. Yugoslavia was not going to let go of its land anywhere, and another massacre began in the region with the active participation of the Kosovo Liberation Army (this is such an Albanian guerrilla-terrorist group), the Yugoslav army, and then NATO. During the fighting, most of the Serbian population left the region, and it became almost completely Albanian.
The situation escalated again in 1999, when the Albanians accused the Serbs of genocide due to the massacre in Racak. Whether there was a massacre of civilians or not is still a moot point. But for NATO, this was the reason to start bombing Belgrade.
Since 1999, Kosovo has been under the control of the UN, which has gradually transferred power to the local administration. Former Albanian field commanders ended up in power, which did not add love to the republic from the Serbs. In 2008, the Republic of Kosovo declared its independence for the second time. By that time, the former Yugoslav region had not been subordinate to Belgrade for a long time.
Now the population of Kosovo is almost entirely Albanians. Serbs live in a small group in the north of Kosovo and are not subject to Pristina. The republic lives its own life, trying to develop the economy, it does not particularly conflict with Serbia, because it is one of the main trading partners.
Kosovo's independence has already been recognized by 108 states out of 193 UN members. But Kosovo cannot become a full member of the UN as long as Russia and China, members of the Security Council, oppose it. In fact, it has long been an independent territory, but in limbo. These Kosovars are strange guys: they could have held a referendum on joining Albania a long time ago (as is customary in decent countries) and not take a steam bath. Why torment Belgrade like that, which is still hoping and waiting...
Russians are remembered here from 1999, when our paratroopers outplayed everyone, making the famous throw at Pristina. At that moment, when President Clinton and the NATO command were already opening champagne and celebrating the victory, Yeltsin decided that the celebration would not be complete without our paratroopers. And since we were not invited, we ourselves will come. And they came.
June 10, 1999 main part military operation NATO ended in the former Yugoslavia, and on June 12 they wanted to bring peacekeeping troops into Kosovo. Ours were stationed 700 km from Pristina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the night of the 12th, 200 of our paratroopers in armored personnel carriers and trucks moved into Kosovo and easily captured the Slatina airport. The airport was important because it was the only one in the region that could receive any type of aircraft, including heavy military transport. And it was through him that the Americans planned to launch a ground operation. Our dug in at the airport, set up their roadblocks and also began to open champagne.
On the morning of the 12th, guests from NATO arrived in tanks and helicopters. The reception was not exactly warm. Our paratroopers did not allow British helicopters to land. The British tankers ran into a Russian barrier, behind which stood a simple Russian soldier with a grenade launcher. There was an awkward pause, but the conflict was avoided. The commander of the British grouping in the Balkans, Michael Jackson, said that "he will not allow his soldiers to unleash a third world war". Instead of attacking, he gave the command to surround the airfield.
As history has shown, Yeltsin could not take advantage of the successes of our paratroopers and soon leaked everything to the Americans. Slatina airport was recognized as a joint base for peacekeeping forces under Russian protection. In 2003, we completely left Kosovo. Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin then remarked: "We have no strategic interests left in the Balkans, and we will save twenty-five million dollars a year on the withdrawal of peacekeepers."
Today, Kosovars consider the Americans heroes who helped them free themselves from Serb oppression.
01. The central street of the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, is called Bill Clinton Boulevard: this is the gratitude of the Kosovars for saving them from the Yugoslav army. By the way, the boulevard is crossed by the street of George Bush (presumably the youngest, because it was under him that the States recognized the independence of Kosovo). And for some reason, in several Kosovo cities there are streets named after Woodrow Wilson.
02. The street was inaugurated in 2002 by the President of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova.
03. At the same time, a portrait of Clinton measuring 15 by 6 meters was installed on a local residential high-rise building - a gift from the Albanian diaspora in the United States.
04. In November 2009, a monument to Clinton was unveiled next to the same house. It is a bronze-looking statue three meters high. Next to the monument there is a plate carved with a quote from Clinton's speech, in which he promised to support the idea of Kosovo's freedom to the end.
05. The monument stands in a very depressing area, against its background there is an advertisement for pate and bread, around graffiti and devastation.
06. Around the corner - a garbage dump.
07. America is loved here.
08. If you need to hang a flag, then hang a lot at once. Necessarily the flag of Kosovo, the flag of Albania, the flags of the United States and the European Union.
09. Optionally, you can hang a NATO flag.
10. The joy of gaining independence quickly passed. The Americans and the European Union forgot about Kosovo: there are many things to do, and the country ended up with nothing.
11. Now you can meet a cow in the city center.
12. Inscription on the wall: "Where is Ukshin Hoti?" There was a professor international law and philosophy at the University of Pristina (an Albanian, of course), who was actively pressed by the Serbian authorities from the 80s, and in 1994 was eventually imprisoned. In 1999, the term of imprisonment expired, but Hoti disappeared. Nobody has seen him since. The Kosovars believe that he has already died, and the Serbian punishers are to blame for this.
13. Chuck Norris - NIS agent. At least that's how Google translated it. NIS is the Serbian subsidiary of Gazprom Neft. If everything is correct, then the slogan is quite in the spirit of our Monstration.
14. Obituaries are hung right on the poles in the center.
15. The city is very poor, devastation and dirt are everywhere.
16. The inscription on the banner on the right: "The 643-day strike continues for the former workers of the stainless steel pipe factory in Ferizai." Ferizai is the Albanian name for the city of Uroševac. Above the inscription: "Day 710". That is, the strike went a little beyond its time limit. On the left, as I understand it, the dates judgments, apparently, somehow connected with the closure of the plant.
17. View from my hotel window
18. Sale of cigarettes
19. Many houses are abandoned.
20.
21. One of the most famous buildings in Pristina - National Library Kosovo. It was built in 1982 by the Croatian architect Andrija Mutnyakovich. It has two characteristic features, because of which it constantly falls into the ratings of the strangest and most ridiculous buildings in the world. These are anti-aircraft windows with domes of various sizes (there are 99 of them in total) and metal honeycombs that completely cover the facade. The building itself consists of parallelepipeds of different sizes.
22. How do you feel? The author of the library project claims that the architecture of the building is a mixture of Byzantine and Islamic forms. In other sources, the architect noted that this style is associated with the "pre-Romanesque architecture of the Balkans."
23. A few meters from the entrance, vegetable gardens are laid out and clothes are being dried. Now there is no time for knowledge.
24. Interior.
25.
26. Corner of Civilization - American Center. There are even automatic doors, and there are computers inside.
27. Around - Kosovo depression.
28. The country is Muslim, but you can't tell it from the outside. Few walk in scarves.
29. In terms of fashion, local women are very relaxed.
30. I heard that these are some fashionable shoes about which Shnurov sang.
31. Fashion
32. In the center stands the unfinished Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior. At one time, the war and the flight of the Serb population of Pristina prevented the completion of the temple. Since 1999, Albanian radicals have regularly desecrated it (for example, someone thought to relieve themselves right in the church building), and the temple also served as a rooming house for the homeless. In early 2016, the Kosovo authorities installed new metal doors in the building, but this is hardly a reliable way to protect it. Ideas were voiced in the local media to make a nightclub or a museum in the church, but it never came to that.
33. And this is being completed by the Catholic Cathedral named after Mother Teresa, who, as you remember, was an Albanian. Nobody is going to desecrate it.
34. Mosque
35.
36. Kosovo is very fond of emphasizing that they are part of Europe.
37. In fact, Kosovo today is a poor, dirty country that no one cares about. Along the route to Macedonia great amount stores that dismantle and sell old household appliances, tires, furniture and other rubbish that flocks here from all sides of well-fed Europe.
38. The main advantage of Kosovo is that you can quickly leave here. No matter where. Any country bordering Kosovo would be much better off.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.
Story:
As a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, most of the territory of Kosovo became part of Serbia (a small area in the northwest was annexed to Montenegro). At the same time, an independent Albanian state was formed. The fact that more than half of the ethnic Albanians remained outside of Albania contributed to the aggravation of the Albanian-Slavic contradictions in the region. In addition, territorial changes marked the beginning of a new round of ethnic migrations: Serbs from other regions began to move to Kosovo, which was encouraged by the Serbian government, and part of the Albanian population emigrated outside the country. During the First World War, as a result of the defeats of the Serbian army in 1915, the territory of Kosovo was captured by the troops of Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The Albanians in the war generally supported the Central Powers and participated in the battles against the Serbs. In the summer and autumn of 1918, Serbian troops liberated Kosovo again, and at the end of the war, the region became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 - Yugoslavia). Within the framework of Yugoslavia, the Albanian question retained its relevance. Albanian nationalists deployed guerrilla war for the annexation of Kosovo to Albania, while the government encouraged the colonization of the region by Montenegrin peasants. During the interwar period, several tens of thousands of Albanians left Kosovo.
During the Second World War, most of Kosovo was included in the Italian protectorate of Albania. During the period of the Italian occupation, the Albanian armed formations launched a struggle for the expulsion of the Serbs from the territory of the region. According to Serbian estimates, between 10,000 and 40,000 were killed, and between 70,000 and 100,000 people were forced to leave Kosovo. In 1944, largely due to the efforts of the Kosovo partisans, the territory of the region was liberated and again became part of Yugoslavia. According to the constitution of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija was formed as part of Socialist Republic Serbia. Tito, hoping for Albania to become part of Yugoslavia, encouraged the resettlement of Albanians in Kosovo and, conversely, limited the possibilities for the return of the Serbian population. Although Kosovo was inferior to other regions of Yugoslavia in terms of economic development, the standard of living here was significantly higher than in neighboring Albania, which contributed to the influx of refugees from there. By the 1960s, the ratio of the shares of Albanians and Serbs in the region was already 9:1. Despite the gradual expansion of Kosovo's autonomy, the desire for independence and orientation towards the regime of Enver Hoxha in neighboring Albania increased among the Albanian population.
In 1968, a wave of protests by Albanian radicals swept across the region. The struggle took the form of party divisions between the Union of Communists of Serbia and the Union of Communists of Kosovo. In the same year, the region's authorities removed the word "Metohija" from its name under the pretext of its non-use by the Albanian majority, but officially the region retained its old name for another 6 years until 1974, when a new Constitution was adopted, and the word " socialist" (Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo), this option was canceled by Milosevic in 1989.
Under the new Constitution, the autonomy of Kosovo was significantly expanded. The region received its representative in the Presidium of Yugoslavia with the right of veto, the Albanian language became one of the official ones, the possibility of creating Albanian secondary and higher educational institutions. However, Kosovo still remained an autonomous province within Serbia.
In 1981, mass student demonstrations took place in the region demanding that Kosovo be granted the status of a full-fledged republic within Yugoslavia, which resulted in bloody clashes and were suppressed by federal troops. Serbo-Albanian confrontation reached a new level: Serbs were discriminated against by local authorities, ethnic clashes became more frequent, the Albanian national movement became radicalized, and anti-Albanian sentiments grew among the Serbs. In 1986, the first manifesto of part of the Serbian intelligentsia was published, calling for the "dealbanization" of Kosovo.
Serbo-Albanian antagonism escalated after Slobodan Milosevic came to power in Yugoslavia in 1988, who, using nationalist rhetoric, was able to gain wide popularity among the Serbian population in the context of the beginning of the collapse of Yugoslavia. In 1989, a referendum was held in Serbia, which approved a new constitution, which radically curtailed the autonomy of national territories. Kosovo Albanians boycotted the referendum. According to its results, the parliament was dissolved in Kosovo, the broadcasting of state radio and television stations in the Albanian language ceased, the dismissals of Albanians from state structures began, and teaching in Albanian was curtailed in some educational institutions. In response, mass strikes, protests, ethnic clashes began. In 1990, Kosovo introduced state of emergency. Nevertheless, separatist aspirations among the Albanians were growing. On September 22, 1991, the creation of the independent Republic of Kosovo was proclaimed, and then an unauthorized (among the Albanian community) independence referendum and presidential elections were held, in which Ibrahim Rugova was elected president. On October 22, 1991, Albania recognized the independence of the Republic of Kosovo. The formation of armed formations of separatists began, which in 1996 were united into the Kosovo Liberation Army. A guerrilla-terrorist war broke out in the region, the victims of which were hundreds of civilians, officials and the military of Yugoslavia. Initially, only police units fought against the separatists, but in 1998 the Yugoslav army entered the hostilities. The war was accompanied by massive repressions, killings of civilians and ethnic cleansing on both sides of the conflict. Albanian militants destroyed many monuments Orthodox culture. In 1999, NATO intervened in hostilities: Yugoslav cities and military installations were subjected to massive bombardments. About half a million, mostly Albanians, were left homeless. As a result, the Serbian government was forced to agree to the entry of the NATO KFOR military contingent into Kosovo and the transition of the region under UN control, which was carried out on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244 of June 10, 1999.
After the establishment of the interim administration of the UN mission in Kosovo, a significant number of refugees remained on the territory of Serbia, mainly from among Serbs and Roma. According to Serbian data, their number in 2002 was 277,000.
On October 23, 2004, under the control of the interim administration, parliamentary elections were held in Kosovo. The majority of votes (47%) was given to the Democratic Union of Kosovo (leader - Ibrahim Rugova, moderates). The Democratic Party of Kosovo (leader - former field commander Hashim Thaci) received 27% of the vote. Another former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramush Haradinaj, led the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party. All Albanian parties supported the independence of the region. The vast majority of Kosovo Serbs ignored the elections - about 900 people voted, that is, less than 1% of the Serbian population. In their opinion, normal conditions for holding elections were not created in the province, which was proved by the bloodshed in March 2004, when as a result of riots and pogroms 19 people died, 4,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians lost their homes, hundreds of houses were burned and dozens of Orthodox churches were destroyed. temples and monasteries.
The number of seats in the Kosovo parliament is distributed along ethnic lines: ethnic Albanians hold 100 seats out of 120, the rest are reserved for national minorities, including 10 for Serbs. The President and Government of Kosovo are elected by Parliament. Under the jurisdiction of the interim administration of the UN mission were the police and the justice system, civil administration, the formation civil institutions and democratization, economic recovery and economic development. Gradually, the functions of internal administration were transferred to the authorities of Kosovo.
On December 6, the government of Kosovo was headed by Ramush Haradinaj. In March 2005, he resigned. He was replaced by the more moderate Bairam Kosumi. After the death of Ibrahim Rugova in 2006, Fatmir Sejdiu was elected president, and the former field commander of the KLA, Agim Ceku, again became prime minister. In November 2006, Cheku was on an unofficial visit to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, where he held talks at the Russian Foreign Ministry, as well as with Russian deputies, who called on the Albanian leadership to have direct contacts with Belgrade. Since January 9, 2008, the government of Kosovo has been headed by Hashim Thaci, a former field commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Initially, with regard to Kosovo, the world community tried to apply the “standards before status” formula, which involved reaching a consensus between all political forces and ethnic groups, and only after that - the definition of the status of the region. This policy, however, did not lead to the return of the Serbs to the province, nor to the cessation of violence. In October 2005, the UN Security Council called for the start of negotiations on the status of the region.
On January 31, 2006, at a meeting of the contact group on Kosovo at the level of foreign ministers (Russia, USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, EU and NATO), a statement was adopted according to which “when deciding on the status of Kosovo, it is necessary to fully take into account the nature of the Kosovo problem, which took shape as a result of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the ensuing conflicts, ethnic cleansing and the events of 1999, as well as its long stay under international administration on the basis of UN Resolution 1244. The ministers called for the need to make every effort to reach an agreement on Kosovo already in 2006. Russia opposed the establishment of specific terms for the settlement, as did Serbia. Three basic principles of negotiations were agreed upon: Kosovo cannot be returned to Serbian administration, cannot be divided and cannot be annexed to another state. Former Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari has been appointed head of international mediators to resolve the Kosovo problem.
Negotiations on the status of Kosovo between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians began on February 20, 2006 in Vienna, mediated by Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Marti Ahtisaari. The Albanian position was to demand full and unconditional independence for Kosovo. Serbia hoped to maintain at least formal control over Kosovo and insisted that Kosovo Serbs in areas of compact residence be granted self-government in matters of health, education, legal and social services, and security issues. Resolution 1244 remained the legal basis for the negotiations, which, in particular, contained a confirmation of the "inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" and did not mention anything more than "granting substantial autonomy within Yugoslavia."
On February 17, 2008, the Parliament of Kosovo declared Kosovo's independence unilaterally. On March 14, Kosovo Serbs protesting the independence of the province took action and seized the building of the Albanian court. The building was stormed by about 200 people and they held the building for 3 days. On March 17, a reinforced UN force of 500 recaptured the building and arrested 53 people. However, when the arrested were transported by a UN convoy, a crowd of Serbs attacked him and threw stones, Molotov cocktails, and grenades at him. In total, 42 soldiers were injured and 2 vehicles were badly damaged. After that, UN troops were ordered to leave the Serbian enclave in the north of the province. On Tuesday night, one Ukrainian peacekeeper died.
On November 15, 2009, Kosovo held its first municipal elections since the declaration of independence. The victory was won by the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Second place went to their opponents from the Democratic League of Kosovo, led by President Fatmir Sejdiu. The third was the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, led by one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramush Haradinaj.
On December 1, 2009, hearings began at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. On July 22, 2010, the International Court of Justice recognized the legality of the decision of the Kosovo authorities to declare independence from Serbia
On October 15, 2010, the country experienced the first political crisis in its history: the Democratic League of Kosovo, led by former president Fatmira Sejdiu decided to withdraw from the ruling coalition. The crisis began in October, when the country's constitutional court ruled that the country's president cannot be party leader at the same time.
On March 8, 2011, the first talks with Serbia in the history of Kosovo were held in Brussels. The political status of Kosovo was not discussed. Belgrade's position: improving the life of the Serbian community in Kosovo. Position of Pristina: normalization of relations with Serbia.
In July 2011, a conflict arose between the authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo and Kosovo Serbs for control of two crossings on the border of the region with Central Serbia, which the Kosovo authorities consider as state. In fact, KFOR forces also came out on the side of Kosovo. The conflict was preceded by unsuccessful negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade on customs regulation.
On April 19, 2013 in Brussels, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci initialed an agreement on the principles of normalization of relations. It concerns the status and functions of the Serb communities in northern Kosovo, but not the status of Kosovo itself. The agreement provides for the formation of a new single community/association of Kosovo Serb communities, which should control the areas economic development, education, healthcare, urban and Agriculture. This association may be given additional powers by the “central authorities” of Kosovo. Kosovo's Serbian police forces should be fully integrated into a single Kosovo service, but a Kosovo Serb should command the regional police headquarters, which will take control of four Serbian communities (North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić). Northern Kosovo's judiciary should be integrated into Kosovo's and operate under Kosovo's laws, but a separate district court should be established in the Serbian part of Mitrovica. It is envisaged to hold elections in 2013 with the support of the OSCE for the leadership of Serbian municipalities. Serbia and Kosovo have agreed not to block the process of each other's accession to the EU. To implement the agreement, with the support of the EU, a joint committee should be formed. Many Serbian opposition parties, the Serbian Orthodox Church, nationalist movements and Kosovo Serbs oppose the Kosovo deal as a betrayal of national interests.
Recognizing countries:
Afghanistan, Costa Rica, Albania, France, Turkey, USA, UK, Australia, Senegal, Latvia, Germany, Estonia, Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg, Peru, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, Finland, Japan, Canada, Monaco, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Norway, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Burkina Faso, Lithuania, San Marino, Czech Republic, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Belize, Malta, Samoa, Portugal, Montenegro, Macedonia, UAE, Malaysia, Micronesia, Panama, Maldives, Palau, Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Comoros, Bahrain, Jordan, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Malawi, Mauritania, Swaziland, Vanuatu, Djibouti, Somalia, Honduras, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Qatar, Guinea-Bissau, Oman, Andorra, Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Benin, Saint Lucia, Nigeria, Gabon, Côte d' Ivoire, Kuwait, Ghana, Haiti, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Brunei, Chad, Papua New Guinea, Burundi, East Timor, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Fiji, Dominica, Pakistan, Guyana, Tanzania, Yemen, Egypt, El Salvador, Grenada, Libya, Thailand, Tonga
Flag:
Map:
Territory:
Demography:
1,733,872 people
Density - 220 people / km²
Religion:
Languages:
Albanian, Serbian
Armed forces:
In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, after the NATO war against Yugoslavia, the collective security forces KFOR were created, which entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999. The maximum number of KFOR reached 50 thousand military personnel. Main bases of KFOR:
Camp Bondsteel
Camp Casablanca
The Kosovo Protection Corps is a civilian authority established on 21 September 1999 under the auspices of UNMIK. It included many former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army. There were approximately 5,000 employees.
In March 2008, KFOR and the Kosovo Protection Corps began preparations to form a new security force. According to the plan, the Security Forces should include 2,500 fighters in permanent readiness units and 800 reservists aged 19-35 years. head General Staff appointed Lieutenant General Suleiman Selimi.
KOSOVO, REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO, a self-proclaimed state recognized by some states in Europe, the USA, Albania, Afghanistan, etc.
Serbia did not recognize the independence of Kosovo and, according to the Serbian constitution, Kosovo is an autonomous province.
Kosovo is a historical region in the south of Serbia, also known as the region of Kosovo and Metohija, covering an area of 10,887 sq. km. in the upper reaches of the valleys of the Drin and Ibar rivers. The main city is Pristina (194.3 thousand people). Other largest cities are Prizren (117.4 thousand), Pecs (78.8 thousand), Kosovska Mitrovica (73.1 thousand) and Djakovica (72.9 thousand). Kosovo is inhabited by 1953.7 thousand people. The region has a high population density - 179 people per 1 sq. km. km. The name of the region comes from the Serbian Kos-thrush. The largest ethnic group is the Albanians; according to 1991 data, they made up 77% of the population of the region, Serbs - 13%, Bosnian Muslims - 4%, Roma - 2% and Montenegrins - 2%.
Kosovo in its modern borders corresponds to the medieval regions of Metohija, Prizren and Kosovo Pole, which the great Župan Stefan Nemanja, the ruler of Serbia, annexed to his state in 1180-1190. This area became one of the centers of the medieval Serbian state: Pec was the residence of the Serbian Orthodox archbishops and patriarchs, Prizren was the temporary Serbian capital. There were 1,300 monasteries in Kosovo until the end of the 20th century. Most of the names in the region are Serbian. Kosovo in the history of Serbia has great importance also because of the military defeat of the country and its Christian allies, which the Turks inflicted on them in the battle of Kosovo in 1389. The Serbian prince Lazar Khrebelyanovich was killed, and Serbia became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. However, the victory was given to the Turks, the hard-national hero of the Serbs Milos Obrenovic killed the Turkish Sultan In the Serbian national culture Kosovo remains a great emotional symbol of rebirth after a national tragedy. Until the 17th century, the majority of the population of the region were Serbs. During the wars between Austria and the Ottoman Empire in 1690, the Serbian Patriarch Arseniy III (Chernoevich), many of his clergy, as well as part of the population that supported the Austrians, moved with them to the southern part of Hungary. Over time, their properties and houses were taken over by Muslim Albanians who previously lived in the area. Muslim privileges in the Ottoman Empire led to the Islamization of the Albanians. By the end of the nineteenth century, Serbs already made up about half of the region's population. Serbian devotion to sacred places in Kosovo persisted after the change ethnic composition its population. During Balkan wars 1912–1913 Serbia regained Kosovo. Serbian and then Yugoslav authorities pursued a policy of assimilation or expulsion of Albanians. Schools teaching in the Albanian language were closed, the lands of the Albanians were confiscated. Thousands of Albanians emigrated. The Serbian authorities were forced to fight the Kosovar rebels (Kachaks) and nationalist organizations, which enjoyed the support of Albania.
In the spring of 1998, the UN and the OSCE proposed that the FRY conclude a three-year agreement under which NATO would be able to send 30,000 troops to Kosovo to ensure peace and democratic elections. The Yugoslav authorities regarded this step as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. After many days of negotiations, held in October 1998, S. Milosevic concluded an agreement with the American representative R. Holbrook, according to which the sky over Kosovo was provided for patrol by NATO reconnaissance aircraft, and 2 thousand OSCE observers were brought into the region. At the same time, Serbian special forces were being withdrawn from Kosovo.
In February 1999, in France, in the castle of Rambouillet, under the auspices of the contact group, negotiations began between the Serbian authorities and representatives of the Kosovo Albanians to find options for overcoming the crisis, which ended in vain. The Yugoslav leadership strongly opposed the introduction of NATO troops into Kosovo. The second round of negotiations in March 1999 also failed.
During this period, the situation in Kosovo became critical. In response to the escalation of hostilities by the Kosovo Albanians, a 40,000-strong Serbian army was brought into the region, which again began, together with the police, to eliminate the KLA bases. Armed clashes were accompanied by casualties among the local population. Many Albanian families fled to Albania and Macedonia, where refugee camps were set up. Western means mass media Serbs were blamed for the genocide of Albanians. The facts cited to prove this were not subsequently confirmed. This was the reason for the NATO military action against Yugoslavia in the spring and summer of 1999 and the subsequent movement of the Albanian population from Kosovo to other countries. The NATO aggression, codenamed "Allied Force", began on March 24 and lasted 78 days until June 10, 1999. Air strikes were carried out throughout the country, including Belgrade and other major cities; many enterprises, hospitals, bridges were destroyed. More than 2 thousand Yugoslav citizens died, including the elderly and children, and the total damage, according to some sources, amounted to approx. $100 billion A mass exodus of Albanians from Kosovo began. Both Serbs and Albanians perished under the bombings. Finally, Yugoslavia agreed to the withdrawal of its troops from Kosovo and the entry into the region of multinational international forces under the auspices of NATO - KFOR. These forces also included Russian units (3 thousand people).
After the cessation of NATO bombing in June 1999, the return of Albanian refugees began, at the same time, Serbs began to leave the territory of Kosovo, who were attacked by Albanian extremists under the cover of NATO troops. In 2001, from the territory of Kosovo, Albanian extremists launched armed operations in Macedonia.
According to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, the territorial integrity of the FRY is recognized and management in Kosovo is carried out under the supervision of international civilian forces (UN Mission in Kosovo - UNMIK) and international security forces (KFOR) with the participation of NATO. There was a 50,000-strong military contingent of KFOR forces in the country, which by the beginning of 2002 was reduced to 39,000. After the fall of the power of the Union of Right Forces and the transfer of Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal, the situation did not change. Following the example of Montenegro, Kosovo introduced the German mark as a unit of account. More than 50 discriminatory laws against Albanians have been repealed, but most of them are applied de facto against non-Albanians, especially Serbs. Terrorists who used to operate as part of the KLA are now attacking the remaining Serbian residents in the province and blowing up Serbian churches.
As a result of the local elections held on October 28, 2000, the forces that supported the moderate position of Ibrahim Rugova won, but at the same time, the position of the extremist forces led by the leader of the KLA, Hashin Tati, was strengthened. The election results were not recognized by Belgrade.
Since 2001, the role of the EU in solving the Kosovo problem has been increasing. In the spring of 2001, the situation escalated sharply due to the intervention of the KLA in the conflict between Macedonians and Albanians.
On November 17, 2001, elections to the local parliament (Assembly) were held in Kosovo, the results of which were recognized by the special representative Secretary General UN in Kosovo 24 November. 64.3% of registered voters took part in them. Largest number the Democratic League of Kosovo (leader I.Rugova) won the votes - 45% of the votes (47 mandates out of 120); in second place is the Democratic Party (leader H. Tachi) - 26 seats; in third place is the Serbian coalition "Return" with 22 mandates (10 of them were reserved for it initially). The remaining mandates were distributed among smaller parties.
On March 4, 2002, after two unsuccessful attempts (December 10, 2001 and January 10, 2002), I. Rugova was elected President of Kosovo, for whom 88 out of 119 deputies voted. However, Rugova has many opponents: representatives of the Thaci faction accuse him of being too soft towards the Serbs, and representatives of the Return, on the contrary, consider his positions to be anti-Serb. On the same day, a government was formed headed by the leader of the Democratic Party, B. Rejepi. The Prime Minister considers the main goal of the Kosovars to be independence. The troubled region of Kosovo continued to be under the supervision of international peacekeeping forces.
The UN Security Council did not reach a consensus on resolving the situation in Kosovo. Russia supported Serbia in this matter. UN Special Representative Martti Ahtisaari was the actual author of Kosovo's independence. He developed a development plan for the area. According to his plan, Kosovo actually gained independence, but did not receive the right to unite with Albania, nor would it have the right to unite again with Serbia.
On January 9, 2008, Kosovo parliamentarians voted for the appointment of Hashim Thaci as head of the government of Kosovo.
On February 17, 2008, Kosovo's parliament unilaterally declared the province's independence from Serbia. There were armed clashes and conflicts between the inhabitants of Kosovo: Serbs and Albanians.
In February 2008, the recognition of Kosovo's independence began, and this process continues to this day. Among those who recognized independence: the USA, Australia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Greece and other countries, EU members supported the Kosovo Albanians.
Russia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo and believes that a precedent is being created that will destroy the system of international law. President Putin commented on the decision: “I would like to emphasize once again that we believe that supporting the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence is immoral and illegal. The territorial integrity of states is enshrined in the fundamental principles of international law, there is a resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, which speaks of territorial integrity Serbia, and all members of the UN must follow these decisions.” Russia will take this factor into account when deciding on the recognition of unrecognized states in the former Soviet Union.
The Serbian Parliament adopted at an extraordinary meeting on February 18, 2008 a decision to annul the declaration declaring independence in the Kosovo region. The deputies voted for this decision unanimously.
November 15, 2009 municipal elections were held. The Democratic Party of Kosovo won the majority.
The first negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo took place in 2011 in Belgium. At the talks, it was possible to agree on the issues of the customs regime and air traffic. In 2012, an agreement was signed between Serbia and Kosovo, according to which Serbia gave Kosovo permission to participate in regional forums, but with a special clause on the status of Kosovo.
Negotiations held between Pristina and Belgrade in late 2011 and early 2012 were of the greatest importance for the outcome of the campaign. March 2011 In Belgium, direct negotiations were held between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo on the issues of the customs regime and air traffic. The European Union acted as an intermediary in the negotiations. The parties managed to reach an agreement on the renewal air traffic, as well as determine the procedure for the activities of border and customs services.
In February 2012, Serbia and Kosovo signed an agreement according to which Belgrade, which does not recognize the self-proclaimed republic, agreed to the participation of Pristina in international regional forums, subject to a special reference to its name - a footnote stating: "This inscription does not define the status of Kosovo and corresponds UNSCR 1244". B. Tadic, who signed this agreement, called it a success of his international policy, as the document will allow his country to apply for the official status of a candidate member of the European Union. At the same time, the Serbian Radical Party called the agreement treason. B. Tadic's rating dropped significantly after these negotiations.