The importance of recognition of the Republic of Kosovo by the Republic of Macedonia for both states
Session
Political Science
Description
Macedonia has been a neuralgic point for the Balkans since the Treaty of St. Stephen and the Berlin Congress in 1878: an area which united and divided Balkan countries in two wars in 1912-1913 and continued to be a point of crisis until after the declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008. Macedonia is an area of strategic importance in the Balkans, with its old borders stretched to Thessaloniki today in Greece and in Piraeus, Bulgaria, and into ethnic Albanian territories. Since 1913 it has undergone various political changes and confrontations. This paper argues how the declaration of independence of Kosovo and later recognition by Macedonia eventually provided an opportunity or EU integration, friendship with the USA, and protection from Western security institutions such as NATO where it can become a member even formally. This recognition of Kosovo as independent state from Macedonia finally closed the last point of political fragility in the Balkans, removing from the agenda as a crisis the “Macedonian issue”.
Keywords:
Macedonia, east crises, recognition of Kosovo, Yugoslavia
Session Chair
Islam Lauka
Session Co-Chair
Belul Beqaj & Alfred Marleku
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-437-69-1
Location
Pristina, Kosovo
Start Date
27-10-2018 5:00 PM
End Date
27-10-2018 6:30 PM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2018.408
Recommended Citation
Kuci, Gurakuq and Gashi, Bejtush, "The importance of recognition of the Republic of Kosovo by the Republic of Macedonia for both states" (2018). UBT International Conference. 408.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2018/all-events/408
The importance of recognition of the Republic of Kosovo by the Republic of Macedonia for both states
Pristina, Kosovo
Macedonia has been a neuralgic point for the Balkans since the Treaty of St. Stephen and the Berlin Congress in 1878: an area which united and divided Balkan countries in two wars in 1912-1913 and continued to be a point of crisis until after the declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008. Macedonia is an area of strategic importance in the Balkans, with its old borders stretched to Thessaloniki today in Greece and in Piraeus, Bulgaria, and into ethnic Albanian territories. Since 1913 it has undergone various political changes and confrontations. This paper argues how the declaration of independence of Kosovo and later recognition by Macedonia eventually provided an opportunity or EU integration, friendship with the USA, and protection from Western security institutions such as NATO where it can become a member even formally. This recognition of Kosovo as independent state from Macedonia finally closed the last point of political fragility in the Balkans, removing from the agenda as a crisis the “Macedonian issue”.