17th Anniversary of Kosovo's Independence

2025-02-17 07:58:00, Aktualitet CNA

Today, Kosovo celebrates the 17th anniversary of Independence. Kosovo's independence was declared on February 17, 2008.

In an extraordinary meeting attended by 109 out of a total of 120 deputies, the Assembly of Kosovo unanimously declared Kosovo an independent, sovereign and democratic state.

The legality of the Kosovo Declaration of Independence has been a controversial topic for some time. Serbia, by opposing the Kosovo Declaration of Independence, sought an assessment of its international validity and support for its position, alleging that the Kosovo Declaration of Independence was illegal.

In the wake of this development, in October 2008, Serbia requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. On July 22, 2010, the International Court of Justice, through an Advisory Decision, reconfirmed that the Kosovo Declaration of Independence did not violate any article of International Law.

The declaration of Kosovo's independence on 17 February 2008 was the culmination of a long and difficult journey for the citizens of Kosovo. For years, the citizens of Kosovo suffered the consequences of ethnic cleansing by the Serbian regime of Slobodan Miloševi?, which resulted in a War of Liberation (1997-1999). After the end of the Kosovo Liberation War, international peacekeeping troops were deployed in Kosovo.

Since June 13, 1999, when Serbian forces were forced to leave Kosovo, this country has been administered by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Self-Government Institutions: the Assembly, the President, and the Government.

In November 2005, the process for the final status of Kosovo officially began. After comprehensive consultations, on 2 February 2007, the international special envoy for the status of Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, submitted his proposal to Pristina and Belgrade for conditional independence for Kosovo, a step towards the establishment of an independent state. After several rounds of talks, Kosovo declared independence on 17 February 2008.

The Declaration of Independence of Kosovo was unanimously approved by 109 deputies present in the Kosovo Assembly hall. Eleven deputies representing the Serbian minority boycotted the voting procedure. Nine representatives of other ethnic minorities were part of the quorum.

Following a request from Russia, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on the afternoon of February 17. The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, issued a neutral statement urging all parties to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence, or jeopardize security in Kosovo or the region.

Speaking on behalf of the six countries Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, the Belgian ambassador expressed regret that the Security Council cannot agree on a way forward, but this deadlock has been very clear for several months.

On 18 February 2008, the EU presidency announced that after a day of intense talks between foreign ministers, member states were free to decide individually whether to recognize Kosovo's independence. The majority of EU member states have recognized Kosovo.

Shortly before Kosovo's Declaration of Independence, the European Union approved the deployment of a 2,000-member non-military Rule of Law mission, EULEX, to further develop the police and justice sector in Kosovo.

All European Union member states approved the EULEX mandate, including the minority of five EU countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence./ CNA