The European Union and the Kosovo Issue: an International Ethical Perspective

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the stand taken by the European Union towards the complex and decades-long Kosovo issue viewed from an international ethical perspective. The author is trying to prove that the issue, such as it is, represents a continuity of an inconsistent attitude of most European states towards the Serbian state territorial issue, which attitude has been persist- ing for two decades. The stand taken by the author is that by acquiescing to the formation and stabilization of a newly-created state in the Serbian terri- tory, the European Union has actually assumed the role of a medium of overseas attempts at attaining as painlessly as possible the goal of the secession of Kosovo, which territory has been proclaimed of special Ameri- can national interest and hence, of a legitimate influence. During the process, it was also the unreserved choice of Serbia for a “European future” after October 5, 2000 that was taken into account. In the conclusion of this paper, the author points to possible consequences that the method of resolving this important state territorial issue could have on the stability of the Western Balkans in near or remote future.