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AMorePerfectEuropeanUnion
EU leaders may have their hands full with the debt crisis, but they can't ignore the
crumbling peace in Serbia and Kosovo.

BY SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN DECEMBER 8, 2011

EuropeanleadersaregatheringinBrusselsonDec.8toorganizeacollectiveresponsetothegrowingdebt

crisisbutitsnotonlytheeurothatendangersEuropeanunity.Lostintheheadlinesisthepossibilityof

renewedviolenceinthewesternBalkans,whichthreatenstorollbackthesignicantprogresswehavemade

intheregionoverthepast15years.ThedeterioratingsecuritysituationinnorthernKosovorequiresan

urgent,united,andfocusedtransatlanticresponsethatre-commitsustohelpingbringthecountriesofthe

regionintoEuropeandtheWest.UnfortunatelyjudgingbyGermanChancellorAngelaMerkelsrecent

statementssuggestingSerbiamaynotbeoeredEUcandidatestatusthisyearwemaymissanimportant

opportunitytocalmtensionsandmovetheregiontowardEuro-Atlanticintegration.

Lastweek,theU.N.envoyinKosovocalledthesituationinthenorth"extremelyvolatile,"notingthat

"combinedfactorsoffrustration,fear,andmistrustcouldeasilyandquicklyprovidethesparkthatcould

igniteviolence."Thefactis,wehavealreadybeguntoseeviolence.

Lastweek,morethantwodozenNATOsoldierswerehospitalizedwithgunshotwoundsandbrokenbones

whenclashesbrokeoutwithlocalSerbprotestersinnorthernKosovo.TheNATOtroopswereattemptingto

removeroadblocksinthenorthinordertoensurefreedomofmovementandsupplylinesfortheirforces.

TheUnitedStatesandourEuropeanalliessupporttherightofallpeopletoprotestpeacefully.However,

violenceagainstNATOtroopsattemptingtomaintainthepeaceisabsolutelyunacceptable.Attackswilldo

nothingtoadvancetheobjectivesofKosovarSerbsandwillonlyisolatethemfurtherinthetransatlantic

community.NATOleadershiphasrespondedthatitwilluse"allmeansavailable"todefenditstroops,andthe

entirealliancewillstandbehindthem.

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Onecanunderstand,intodayscurrenteconomicclimate,whyEuropeaneyesareturnedinwards,asour

closealliesinBrussels,Berlin,Paris,andelsewhereattempttostemthegrowingcontagionwithinthe

eurozoneborders.However,thesituationinKosovoandSerbiacallsoutforattentionandtransatlantic

leadership.Atatimewheneconomicandsecuritychallengesareallaroundus,ouralliancecannotforget

aboutitsownbackyard.

SerbianPresidentBorisTadichasrightlycalledforthedismantlingofthebarricadesinnorthernKosovo,

sayingthatthey"donotdefendasinglenationalinterest."IagreewithPresidentTadic,andbelievethatall

peopleintheregion,SerbiansandAlbaniansalike,haveabsolutelynothingtogainandmuchtoloseby

areturntoviolence.IwouldechoTadicscallforallsidestodemonstraterestraintatsuchatenseand

dangeroustime.

ThereisnoappropriatemilitarysolutiontothedisputeinnorthernKosovo.Thealternativeasustainable,

peacefulresolutionwillrequiretime,patience,anddiplomaticcreativity.LeadersinbothKosovoand

Serbiahaveboldlydecidedtoreturntothenegotiatingtabletocontinueimportanttechnicaltalks,despitethe

unrestandthepoliticaldicultiesthesenegotiationshaveprompted.Thisrenewedroundofdiscussions

followsonseveralmonthsofprogress,particularlywithrespecttocustomsandborderissues.

Thesetalksneedtoaccomplishmuchmore,andbothsidesneedtodemonstratetheirseriouscommitmentto

progressinthedaysandmonthsahead.Noneofusshouldallowasmallnumberofextremistforcesto

underminethesignicantprogressbeingmadebetweenKosovoandSerbia,andtheUnitedStatesand

Europeshouldredoubleoureortstogivepoliticalcovertobothsidesastheyengageinpoliticallydicult

butnecessarydiscussionsonthefutureoftheirrelationship.

Perhapsthemostcriticaldecisiononthefutureoftheregion,however,lieswithouralliesintheEuropean

Unionthisweek.OnDec.9,EUleadersaresettodecidewhetherSerbiawillreceiveEUcandidatestatus

oneoftherstmajorstepsforanycountrythatwishestojointheEuropeanUnionandwhetherother

Balkancountries,includingMontenegro,Kosovo,andBosniawillcontinuedownthatpath.

Unfortunately,ChancellorMerkelscommentssuggestthatSerbiamaynotreceivecandidatestatusbeforethe

endoftheyear.ThisisobviouslyadecisionforourEuropeanallies,butthereislittledoubtthatall

transatlanticmemberswillbeaectedbyareturntoinstabilityinthewesternBalkans.

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FewareundertheillusionthatSerbia,orotherBalkanstatesseekingtomoveforwardontheEUaccession

process,arereadytojointheEuropeanUniontoday.Therewillbeplentyoftimeforpressingallcountriesof

thewesternBalkansonmuch-neededreformsandinstitutionalchanges.However,itiscriticalthatcitizensin

theregioninSerbia,Kosovo,Montenegro,andelsewhereseealightattheendofthetunneliftheyareto

continuetoacceptdicultreformsandembraceaWestern-orientedfuture.

Asissooftenthecase,theinternationalcommunityhasprovenitselfcapableofbringingviolentconicttoan

end,butmanagingthepeaceinthelong-termhasprovendicult.ThewesternBalkansisnoexception,and

itwillrequireourcontinuedattention.

AtatimewhenEuropeisaskingsignicantquestionsaboutitsownscalandnancialfuture,itisimportant

thatwedonotabandonagoalthatwehaveallfoughtforoverthepast60yearsthatofaEuropethatis

whole,free,andatpeace.Thestakesarehighandourmutualobjectiveisinourgrasp,butitwillneverbemet

withoutallofthecountriesofthewesternBalkansincludingSerbiaandKosovo.

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