Partitioning Kosovo, A Recipe For Disaster in Western Balkans

Late July, Serbia made a proposal to Kosovo to put an end to diplomatic tensions. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008, leading to it becoming a de facto state.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic proposed to implicitly recognize Kosovo, i.e. no international recognition, in return for northern Kosovo, most populated by Serbian people.

This proposal had the effect of a bomb, provoking concerns in the area. Many believe that partitioning Kosovo, and creating ethnic states, could lead to a diplomatic mess, or worse, a conflict in the Western Balkans.

By Antoine Dewaest

Photo: Central Intelligence Agency, "Former Yugoslavia," The Former Yugoslavia: A Map Folio