POST-SOVIET SECESSIONISTS HEDGING THEIR BETS ON A "KOSOVO PRECEDENT"

Eurasia Daily ^

[kronos77]

The London meeting of the Contact Group, which launched the negotiations toward defining Kosovo's status (Interfax, February 1, 2), is being assessed by the post-Soviet secessionist leaderships cautiously. They do not seem to assume that the outcome in Kosovo would necessarily set an international precedent to legalized secession. This is Russian President Vladimir Putin's professed assumption. On January 30-31, Putin called for the post-Soviet enclaves' international recognition and came close to promising Russian recognition if, as expected, Kosovo is granted independence (see EDM, February 2, 6). In the Contact Group's meeting, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov reiterated Putin's thesis that the outcome in Kosovo must create a precedent and "universal model" for resolution of conflicts.

In a similar vein, South Ossetia's de facto leader Eduard Kokoiti maintains that Putin's position on Kosovo "supports the right to national self-determination" for Ossetians as well (Regnum, January 30). Kokoiti evidently means separation of South Ossetia from Georgia, not that of North Ossetia from Russia, let alone that of Chechnya. But irrespective of such deviation from Putin's "universal model," Kokoiti's argument falls back on the general claim of self-determination, rather than tying its case to an as yet uncertain outcome in Kosovo.

[kronos77]

balkan Ping!

[kronos77]

basicaly, a cheeter`s wife, wants to cheat, but her husband is sooo upset by that.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Woodrow Wilson started this whole concept of "Self Determination." It was a great idea for nations subjected to Empires. The problem is where do you draw the line? The Basque region wants independence even though it has never been a country in modern times. Should Kurdistan be a country carved out of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran? Kosovo's independence could open up a tidal wave of separatist movements. Can we say in Georgia; "The South Shall Rise Again?"

[kronos77]

You are my main man:)
Magic of politics is to seek a liberalism in sonservativism and conservativism in libaralism.

Woodrow Wilson started his cocept when in Europe wre just rather small number of countries Germany, France, Spain, portugal, Italy, Turkey, Austria-Hungary and Russia. Most of them old empires, with subjected nations, and as being Serb, mpost of Serbs were devided by Austria-Hungary and Turkey, Entire nations (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, half of romanians) were enslaved into empires.
But nowdays, with wolout democracy and human rights (beware of "Humanrightism!) situation is much diferent.
Lets just compare Woodrow Wilsons concept with physics-
It is OK to break a molecul, be never, never try to break atom!