October 13, 2006

KiM Info Newsletter 13-10-06

We are moving too quickly toward final status in Kosovo

Letter to President Bush regarding Serbs in Kosovo from Senator George Voinovich

I write to you today to express my deep concerns about the situation in Kosovo. I am concerned that we are moving too quickly toward a final status in Kosovo and have not developed a sound plan for implementation with support from both sides involved. We may be facing a crisis in Kosovo if we do not slow down and engage more heavily with Serbia and the Kosovar Albanians to ensure that the final plan can be implemented.

Senator George V. Voinovich

Official site, including biography, constituent services, contact details, issues, news, press releases, statements, audio clips, links... - Wikipedia

UNITED STATES SENATE
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
October 10, 2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I write to you today to express my deep concerns about the situation in Kosovo. I am concerned that we are moving too quickly toward a final status in Kosovo and have not developed a sound plan for implementation with support from both sides involved. We may be facing a crisis in Kosovo if we do not slow down and engage more heavily with Serbia and the Kosovar Albanians to ensure that the final plan can be implemented. Any crisis in Kosovo will distract the international community, European allies, and limited resources at a time when they are crucial to our success in Afghanistan and Iraq. Your leadership is critical to avoiding another crisis and establishing a peaceful outcome in Kosovo that will create a lasting community of democracies in Southeast Europe.

As I have stressed in my many conversations with your top officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, I am very concerned that the UN negotiator Martti Ahtisaari and the Contact Group is moving too quickly toward a final solution on Kosovo. Since the beginning of this process, the United States has pressed the international community to reach a solution in 2006. I believe this is a dangerous approach, and that it should be adjusted. I recently met with the Foreign Minister of Greece, the President of Romania, and several parliamentarians ftom Croatia and Germany. All of them expressed to me their serious concern about the speed of the negotiations and the impact it will have on security in their region. In order to achieve a lasting and successful solution in Kosovo, the final outcome requires "buy in" and support from Kosovar Albanians, Kosovar Serbs, and the government in Serbia. All of the parties will be needed to implement it and abide by it.

On several occasions, I have advocated to your administration, including Secretary Rice, Under Secretary Nick Bums, and Assistant Secretary Dan Fried, that we must support the conditions laid out by United Nations Special Envoy Kai Eide in his October 2005 report to Secretary General Kofi Annan. In his report, which was endorsed as fair and balanced by both sides, Eide stated that "further progress on standards implementation is urgently required." He also warned that "artificial deadlines should not be set." If we ignore Eide's recommendations and proceed without the necessary infrastructure, violence is likely to ensue. Therefore, I strongly urge you to instruct your foreign policy team to focus on developing the criteria needed to make an agreement successful rather than an approach focused on a deadline. As we have used as a guiding principle in Iraq, we should allow the facts on the ground to dictate sound policy rather than a self-imposeddeadline.

In order to be successful, we must also give due consideration to the complex political dynamics in Serbia that are affected by the situation in Kosovo. In my previous letter to you, I requested that you invite the leaders of Serbia to the United States and to support democratic forces in Serbia. I am grateful that Serbia's democratically elected President and Prime Minister were able to visit the United States and discuss their points of view with Secretary Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. However, we need to do more to help democratic forces in Serbia survive this process and prevent the empowerment of radical forces in Serbia. It is clear that President Tadic and Prime Minister Kostunica will work together in calling for early elections in the near future. It is in U.S. interests and the interests of democracy and stability in Southeast Europe that we wait until Serbia's elections have occurred before we move forward with a final status plan on Kosovo. I strongly urge you to pressure the Contact Group and UN Special Negotiator Martti Ahtisaari to hold off on the final solution for Kosovo until the conclusion of Serbia's elections.

As part of this, I urge you to take additional actions to engage Serbia and counter the impression that Serbia is becoming increasingly isolated by the West. I am aware of various options for increasing U.S. engagement with Serbia, including thrdugh assistance dollars, the Partnership for Peace (PiP) program, Foreign Military Financing (FMF), and International Military Education Training (IMET). Yet, despite the fact that countries like Belorus and Turkmenistan are welcomed into the PiP program and receive military education and assistance, Serbia continues to be isolated from the prospect of a real relationship with NATO. Moreover, Montenegro and Bosnia are likely to enter PiP soon. It would be sensible to extend participation to all three countries at the same time and avoid isolating Serbia from its neighbors in the region. This could embolden radicals and exacerbate the existing apathy among pro-western voters.

We must also do a better job of reaching out to the Kosovar Serbs. Kosovar Serbs are largely in the dark about their-future and cynical after years of disappointment under the UN Mission in Kosovo. They are fearful for their property, lives, and land. Many are ready to sell their property, expecting violence to ensue at the end of the process. A mass exodus of Serbs is a real and tragic possibility. We must demand a better public information campaign to inform all Serbs in Kosovo about the details of the status plan and the fact that they will have the protection and support of the international community throughout the process. The U.S. and the international community have already invested a tremendous amount of assistance into Kosovo. However, new assistance programs targeted specifically at raising public awareness and distributing aid to Kosovar Serb communities could go a long way. With only a few million dollars targeted at Kosovar Serbs enclaves throughout Kosovo, the United States could prevent a mass exodus of Serbs from Kosovo. We can produce visible and tangible programs for Serbs in Kosovo and better inform Serbs about the concept of decentralization and how it will affect their villages. This work must begin immediately. Funds should be reprogrammed now and allocated to this effort.

Lastly, it is critical that we demand an adjustment period after the final status plan is adopted and before Kosovo is recognized as an independent nation. The adjustment period is needed to inform the public, build confidences on both sides, and lay the groundwork that will ensure the implementation of the agreement. Additionally, it will allow time for Kosovar Serbs who want to stay in Kosovo to organize politically and prepare for municipal elections. Time and progress on key issues, including municipal elections and property returns, will increase the likelihood that Serbs will remain in Kosovo and work toward a solution. Additionally, time will increase the likelihood that Belgrade will use its influence to support the final plan. Without this time, the prospects for successwill diminish. .

We cannot afford another crisis in the world at this time. We owe it to the American people to take the time and steps needed to prevent a crisis that could spread throughout the region and require additional resources and forces. Thank you for your consideration of my thoughts on this issue and thank you again for your leadership during these challenging times. Janet and I continue to lift you up in our prayers.

Sincerely,

George V. Voinovich
United States Senator 

cc: Secretary Condoleeza Rice, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley