Prof: U.S. wrong on Kosovo issue

Kosovo’s independence, while celebrated by some countries and denounced by others, is actually… Kosovo’s independence, while celebrated by some countries and denounced by others, is actually in violation of international law, according to Pitt professor Robert Hayden.

“Borders can be changed, but that has to be done with consent,” said Hayden. Hayden is the director of Pitt’s Center for Russian and East European Studies, as well as a professor of anthropology, law, and public and international affairs.

While Hayden believes that Kosovo has a right to independence, he maintains that the former part of Serbia went about it in the wrong way.

He criticized the Bush administration’s way of handling the situation, saying it has broken the most fundamental principles of international law, which dictates that, “state borders cannot be changed with force and without consent” – a law that has existed since World War II.

Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 17 without approval from the government of Serbia, the country that Kosovo used to be a part of and is still a part of, as far as Serbia and many other countries are concerned. It received backing from the United States when the latest set of negotiations over Kosovo’s status failed.

Kosovo is currently recognized by the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and several other countries. Countries that don’t recognize the new state include Serbia’s ally Russia, along with Spain, Romania, Greece and others that have their own secessionist movements to worry about.

According to Hayden, Kosovo will be unable to join the United Nations because countries like Russia and China will block its entrance. It will also be unable to join the EU because countries like Spain and Greece will prevent the unanimous consent needed for admittance.

Hayden said that the United States’ disregard for international law in regard to Kosovo could set a dangerous precedent, which would legitimize the establishment of new states around the world in spite of international law.

“The Russians, actually, in this case, are the ones who are upholding international law,” said Hayden.

Kosovo’s population is more than 90 percent Muslim Albanian, and the rest is predominantly Orthodox Serbian. Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo, which is regarded as an integral and historical part of its territory, as many important Eastern Orthodox religious sites are located there.

Kosovo has been occupied by NATO since 1999, following war with former Yugoslavia and the genocide of Kosovars by former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic. Negotiations over Kosovo’s independence had been off and on ever since.

“The situation that you now have is extremely nasty,” said Hayden.

Now, NATO must protect the northern border of Kosovo, which isn’t recognized by Serbia or by the strong Serbian population living in the north of the new state.

“Kosovo’s economy is a disaster. It is the poorest part of former Yugoslavia