Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program Releases Latest Report on Kosovo
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday the Global Europe Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars released its latest report, “Consolidating Kosovo's Sovereignty: Why it Matters, and What Must Be Done.” In this report, leading experts from the Global Europe Program Working Group on the Western Balkans and Subgroup on Kosovo argue that there is now a unique opportunity to resolve one of the major sources of inter-state tension in southeastern Europe: the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia over Kosovo’s sovereignty.
“Consolidating Kosovo’s Sovereignty” was co-authored by Global Europe Director Daniel S. Hamilton together with Anna Di Lellio (New York University), Arben Hajrullahu (University of Prishtina), and Aidan Hehir (University of Westminster). The report’s findings are endorsed by 21 prominent experts, including Eliot Engel, former U.S. Congressman and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Among the highlights of the report are its arguments that it is time once again for the United States and European Union to:
- Treat Kosovo and Serbia as equal parties and hold each accountable to their commitments; recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each.
- Redouble support for Kosovo’s admission to international organizations and demand that Serbia cease its campaign against Kosovo joining those organizations.
- Encourage the five EU member states that do not recognize Kosovo (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain) to alter their bilateral stance towards Kosovo’s independence.
- Grant visa liberalization to Kosovo immediately.
- Insist that Kosovo and Serbia not pursue unions with neighboring countries and/or territories.
- Enhance cooperation between Kosovo and NATO, including establishing a clear path towards NATO membership for Kosovo by 2027.
In addition, the authors urge Kosovo and Serbia to:
- Put people ahead of territory by prioritizing transitional justice and supporting bilateral economic cooperation to combat unemployment.
- Agree to reciprocity of rights for the Serb community in Kosovo and the Albanian community in Serbia as a basic principle to guide further Kosovo-Serbia dialogue agreements.
The Wilson Center is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue, announced today the creation of a new initiative examining the human and geopolitical consequences of the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan for its people, for the region, and the United States, and is ranked one of the top think tanks globally by the University of Pennsylvania.
Views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect those of any institution or organization.
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Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
