Introduction to Kosovo

Apart from historians, almost nobody in the world heard of Kosovo, a province of Serbia, a small landlocked territory in the heart of the Balkans, until March 24, 1999, when NATO started a bombing campaign against then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since June 1999, Kosovo has been under the international administration, a kind of the UN protectorate. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo's majority Albanians unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia under the supervision of the EU and NATO. It is illegal and violates the Helsinki Final Act and UN Charter. Less than 40 out of 192 UN member states have recognized Kosovo as independent. Despite the declaration of independence, the international administration is to stay in Kosovo. So, Kosovo continues in a state of limbo.

Controversy and International Relations

Is Kosovo really independent? Kosovo has become a symbol of deep crisis in international relations much more so than Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore, Kosovo's case is not closed and the story goes on. However, the fate of Kosovo, for the time being, does not depend on its citizens but on the international community and, most of all, on its economy.

Economic and Political Challenges

The economy almost does not exist and the present Kosovo is incapable of standing on its feet. This book is trying to shed a light on those two crucial elements - the international community policy and Kosovo's economy.