Kosovo: The Path to Contested Statehood in the Balkans (Library of European Studies)

"Kosovo is the most important issue in contemporary Europe - and potentially the most explosive. This book presents an objective and up to date history of Kosovo's contested path to the declaration of independence in 2008. The author combines academic and practical experience of the subject and is uniquely well placed to comment.In February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. Was this the final chapter in the break up of Yugoslavia and the successful conclusion to the Balkan Wars of the 1990s? Or was it just one more wrong turn in the path to stability in the Balkans which has set a dangerous precedent for regional conflict throughout the world?When the UN Security Council authorised negotiations to determine the final status of Kosovo in October 2005, most observers confidently expected the Serbian province to become an independent state by the end of the following year. However, the process did not go as planned."Kosovo: The Path to Contested Statehood in the Balkans" charts the course of the status process from 2005 to the present and analyses how and why it went so very wrong. This clear and perceptive account will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in the recent history of the Balkans or in international conflict resolution."--Bloomsbury publishing. In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Was this the final chapter in the break-up of Yugoslavia and the successful conclusion to the Balkan Wars of the 1990s? Or was it just one more wrong turn in the path to stability in the Balkans which has set a dangerous precedent for regional conflict throughout the world? When the UN Security Council authorised negotiations to determine the final status of Kosovo in October 2005, most observers confidently expected the Serbian province to become an independent state by the end of the following year. However, the process did not go as planned. After two years of discussions, conducted by two different sets of mediators, the two sides had still not reached an agreement. With the risk of violence in Kosovo increasing, Western leaders appeared to be left with no choice but to accept a unilateral declaration of independence - despite the destabilising effects that this might have on regional and international security. James Ker-Lindsay here charts the course of Kosovo's path to independence. He points out the serious flaws in the way the talks were conducted and shows how the discussions became caught up in renewed East-West tensions. This clear and perceptive account will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in the recent history of the Balkans or in international conflict resolution. In February 2008, Kosovo finally declared its independence from Serbia. This book charts the course of the status process from 2005 to the present and analyses how and why it went so very wrong. James Ker-lindsay. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [245]-258) And Index.