VIDEO: Kosovo Celebrates Birthday, Serbs Insult

Exactly one year has passed since Kosovo, with the help of the United States of America and most EU countries, declared the “false” state of Kosovo, reports Press Online.

“This self named, Albanian state is not recognized by two thirds of the world -  from a total of 190 countries, only 54 recognized the independence of Kosovo. Of the 27 European Union Nations, Kosovo was recognized by 22 nations” writes Press.

The stance that Press has is supported by most of the Serbian media. In February last year, Press accompanied the independence of Kosovo with the front page that pictured George W. Bush, Hashim Thaci and Javier Solana with the headline “Fuck Off”. As the media writes today, one year later, the message is the same: “Fuck off. Kosovo is a part of Serbia and will always remain so”.

The issue of Kosovo has been carried over to the International Court of Justice, which should bring a decision on the legality of the declaration of independence. Serbian diplomacy, state the media, has in the past year stopped the entry of the “false” state of Kosovo into international forums. During the last year, Serbian authorities also set the conditions for the entry of the EULEX mission to Kosovo, and the state has gained its own security forces with the help of NATO.

Serbian diplomacy has achieved a lot, considering the circumstances

Serbian delegates were sent to Kosovo for the state’s birthday. In Zvecan, a joint meeting will be held of the Committee for Kosovo and the community parliament of the municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija. Many delegates from all parliamentary parties will attend the event.

The Serbian president Boris Tadic and premier Mirko Cvetkovic will not attend the meeting in Kosovo. Amongst the people who will not celebrate the birthday is Vojislav Kostunica, whose last election slogan was “Kosovo is Serbia”. Only the Minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, will go to Kosovo.

“Serbian diplomacy has achieved a lot in the frame of the existing possibilities” claims analyst Dusan Janjic.

“Serbia together with Russia has managed to frustrate the Albanians, who announced 100 recognitions in the first year, and Kosovo was recognized by half as many countries. With the successful diplomacy and a UN resolution, that seeks an opinion from the International Court of Justice about the unilateral declaration of independence, the problem of Kosovo has been shifted to the legal plan” said Janjic to Press.

“We should have sued all the countries who recognized Kosovo”

However, the former minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, considers that the authorities could have done more for Kosovo.

“Belgrade should have more firmly taken their stances. Instead of seeking an opinion from the International Court of Justice, they should have sued all the countries that recognized Kosovo. The authorities should have more attention for Serbs, and not reduce finances and investments. With all of that, it is unallowable that the illegal EULEX mission comes, which was not accepted by the UN, and which works for the independence of Kosovo” considers Samardzic.

Also, one of the Serbian lobbyists from Kosovo in the USA, Jim Jatras, said for Press that Kosovo has been recognized by only 54 countries, and is “proof of Washington’s great failure of politics on Kosovo”.

“Some of the EU countries regret that they recognized Kosovo, and of the larger nations, Kosovo was not recognized by Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, most Latin-American and African countries, even most of the Islamic world. The project for independence experienced failure, regardless of how much its architects try to show otherwise” says Jatras.

Kosovo lives the worst in the Balkans

Here we also have the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremic, who warned that around 30 countries around the world are under pressure to recognize Kosovo today.

Today Jeremic will meet with Ban Ki-moon, the chief secretary of the UN. Before the meeting Jeremic said that Serbia is doing everything in its power to stop those recognitions”.

“Pressure is coming from the most influential countries, and it is in the interest of Serbia’s defence not to mention which countries are under pressure” says Jeremic.

As evidence of the failure of Kosovo, Press states that Kosovo is economically at the level of Ethiopia, and that in Kosovo they “live the worst in all the Balkans”. Kosovo’s doctors earn around 300 euros per month, and their pensions are around 50. Construction and real estate is in the hands of the mafia, and the Serbian region is ruled by drug trafficking and prostitution, reports Press.

“Kosovo is saved by 380,000 Albanians that work abroad and who send 500 million euros per month” concludes the Serbian daily.

Take a look at how Kosovo is preparing for the celebrations in the photo gallery: Kosovo Turns One Year Old.

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