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UNITED NATIONS — Having spent eight years in legal limbo, Yugoslavia has been readmitted as a member of the United Nations. But the old communist-era banner of Socialist Yugoslavia, has been replaced by the new flag of the democratic, yet still untested, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Belgrade has resumed its rights in the 189 member General Assembly.
Yugoslavia's membership was restored by acclamation--and importantly with the support of the former states (Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia) which were once uneasy/forced/or comfortable (depending on your viewpoint) satraps of Socialist Yugoslavia. Indeed Belgrade's membership imbroglio rested not with the mendacious political policies of the Milosevic regime, but the proper legal requirement that a shattered Yugoslav state, would legally have to reapply for membership. Milosevic refused to comply with this requirement for readmission and thus the impasse.
French Delegate Jean-David Levitte stated that in "seeking the admission for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the UN, President Kostunica confirmed his resolve to break with the dead end policy in which the Milosevic regime had enmeshed itself." He added, "A hiatus of eight years is about to end, with legitimate pride, the Yugoslav people are going to take their rightful place in the concert of nations."
Naturally the roots of the problem rested with the Milosevic's militant mix of Marxism/nationalism in pressing for Serb dominance over the other constituent peoples which once formed an allegedly "multi-national" Yugoslav state. Significantly, Croatia's Ambassador Ivan Simonovic stated, "By applying to the UN, just as the other four other successor states have done previously, the new authorities of the FRY have conformed that they accept the principle of equality of all States that emerged after the dissolution of the former SFRY(Yugoslavia)."
Croatia's delegate stressed,"This is a good start for the new authorities and gives cause for optimism that they will depart from the other failed policies of the Milosevic regime by respecting the borders and territorial integrity or neighboring states, protecting human and minority rights, cooperating with the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, as well as by respecting the legal equality of all five successor States."
Given the brutal Balkan conflicts resulting from Milosevic's quest to reinstate Serb Yugoslav sovereignty over the other nationalities, this remains the key issue. Thus despite the advent of a democratic government in Serbia there's cautious optimism, but still little euphoria in the region.
Interestingly as Amb. Wolfgang Petritsch the UN High Representative for Bosnia implored earlier, "We should not drop our guard. The destructive nationalism's that pulled the region apart have not fallen with Slobodon Milosevic. The political changes in Belgrade are watched more with apprenshion than with relief in Kosovo and Montenegro as well as Bosnia."
And significantly too, what of Kosovo the ethnic Albanian "Yugoslav" province "saved' by American and NATO military intervention only last year? While defeating Milosovic militarily in the conflict, the West foolishly allowed the status of Kosovo to remain legally Yugoslav. Deep fault lines exist between the majority Albanian Kosovars and the minority Serbs--admittedly both used as political cannon fodder by their respective "big brothers." The Albanians want independence--and who would blame them after what the Serbs inflicted upon them in the past few years?
Recently Ibrahim Rugova, a mild-mannered but astute freedom fighter, is now poised to enter center stage. According to the Economist, "With moderates, Mr. Rugova and the new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kustunica--relishing their success in Pristina and Belgrade, their respective capitals, diplomats are dusting down old ideas for a compromise over Kosovo's future. It's hard to see how there can be any middle ground between Rugova's demand for full independence and Kustunica's pledge to restore Yugoslav sovereignty. The prospects for holding the ring in a civilized way are better."
Kosovo's future emerges as a political minefield not cleared by the victorious Allies. The U.S and Europeans should prudently promote a policy linking economic aid and assistance to democratic Yugoslavia contingent on Belgrade's clear and unambiguous commitment to accept a changed legal status for long-suffering Kosovo. Only when Albanians and Serbs can decide their future--free from Belgrade's meddling, can the Kosovar people truly have achieved self-determination.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.
