EU Unlikely To Approve Kosovo's Bid Over Independence Precedent Concerns - Expert

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th December, 2022) EU member states with large ethic minorities are unlikely to greenlight Kosovo's membership application because it may serve as a precedent for those minorities to push for independence and accession to the bloc as separate nations, Nicola Markovic, a French writer and political analyst on the Balkans, told Sputnik.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Parliament speaker Glauk Konjufca signed the EU membership application at a ceremony on Wednesday amid increased tensions with Serbia.

"It is not the first time that Pristina announces its candidacy to the EU, but I expect it will be rejected, since Kosovo is a completely artificial republic, a creation of the US, that covers no reality. At least five major EU member states refuse categorically to recognize the existence of Kosovo as an independent state, because these EU states have minorities with special status - I think for example of Catalonia or the Basque region in Spain - that could immediately ask for independence if an independent status was given to Kosovo, which actually is a Serbian province," Markovic said.

Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Slovakia are in the same position as Spain, the expert said, stressing that Brussels was undertaking attempts to make Bosnia and Herzegovina an EU candidate as well "to satisfy Washington."

"The US is taking advantage of the Russian special operation in Ukraine to try to impose their will on the Balkans and the European Union.

The Atlanticist camp in NATO wants to lock down the Balkans and padlock the situation in NATO and the EU," Markovic explained, adding "Serbia is a candidate to the EU and will remain vigilant about Kosovo."

The expert also believes there will likely be public opposition across the EU to Kosovo's accession, citing Kosovo's weak economy, with 25% of the population below the poverty line, and its massive share in EU organized crime, including drug trafficking networks.

"If Europeans could give their opinion in a referendum, this application of Kosovo to join the EU would be buried for good," Markovic said.

In 2008, an Albanian-controlled force in Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province unilaterally proclaimed independence from Belgrade and launched a campaign for international recognition. Kosovo's foreign ministry has declared it has secured recognition from 116 UN member states, as of Thursday. Of the 27 EU member states, five � Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain � have not recognized Kosovo's sovereignty.

In 2016, the European Union and Kosovo signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which confirmed Pristina's intention to join the bloc and its readiness to carry out the required political, economic, trade and human rights reforms.

In March 2022, the Kosovar parliament adopted a resolution urging the government to take all necessary steps to join NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe and other international organizations.