The violent breakup of the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s mobilized the international community to help secure peace and stability in the Balkans. After the signing of the 1995 Dayton Accords, the region began to embark on a path toward Euroatlantic integration. Today, two countries that were once part of the former Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Macedonia, as well as Albania, are expected to receive invitations to join NATO at its summit in Bucharest. Their membership in NATO would be a significant step forward in further stabilizing the region. Yet much of the progress in the Balkans has been impeded by the volatile situation in Kosovo and uncertainty about its future status, following its declaration of independence on February 17, 2008.
Kosovo's declaration of independence brings with it significant responsibility and uncertainty for Kosovo and its neighbors, as well as new challenges and burdens for the Euroatlantic community. Kosovo will be heavily supervised for years to come by the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) that includes police, judges, prosecutors, and customs officials. While European Union member states reached a unified view on the need to send EULEX, they are not unified on whether to officially recognize the new independent Kosovo state. Countries such as Spain, Slovakia, and Romania have raised many questions about Kosovo's independence, including what signal it sends to other separatist movements, and the slow recognition by some EU member states testifies to their uneasiness about the reality of the new state.
Globally, Kosovo's independence has not been met with unified recognition at the United Nations, and the UN Security Council has not been able to sanction an endorsement of EULEX. Will Kosovo remain outside of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe for years to come?
A stable, democratic future for the Balkans depends on the region's integration into the Euroatlantic frameworkâand how quickly this future can be realized. A NATO invitation to Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia for membership would be a start to anchoring the region to the West.
How rapidly can the Balkans be integrated into the European Union and NATO?
Is Kosovo a viable state and/or will it be a long-term EU "protectorate"?
After Kosovo's declaration of independence, has the United