Between Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution:
The Macedonian Perspective on the Kosovo Crisis
Between Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution:
The Macedonian Perspective on the Kosovo Crisis (the paper, 105kB)
Interview with Biljana Vankovska-Cvetkovska, Faculty of Philosophy (Political
Science and Military Law), University of Skopje, Macedonia
and background paper
[this interview was originally conducted for the Macedonian weekly Puls;
translation into English is by the author]
Q: The military conflict in Kosovo has been underway for three weeks. Could you
give us your comment on its effects - both from NATO's and FR Yugoslavia's
perspectives.
A: As an university professor, who has been very proud that Macedonia is the
only example among the Balkan countries where there have been established peace
studies as an academic discipline, as well as a person with ethical and
professional attitude against any form of violence - I am free to say that the
effects of Kosovo conflict have been disastrous. The "results" are ruinous for
NATO Alliance, which is being preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary with
adoption of the new Strategic Concept for the next millennium. Having entered
in an adventure, from which is even more difficult to get out - NATO will have
to re-think its role in the next period. Definitely, FR Yugoslavia is also a
loser in this conflict, regardless the manifestation of the famous
unconquerable "Serbian spirit". The current loses are huge, but in the first
place I am most worried by the fact that the fragile and weak democratic
potential of this country has been destroyed, the same potential the world saw
during the 1996/97 protests. Without democratic Serbia and Yugoslavia there
cannot be long lasting peace and prosperity in the Balkans. NATO airstikes put
into action the well-known "rally around the flag" effect, i.e. it has
contributed to total homogenization of the society. This result is something
Milosevic has never accomplished in total. And finally, we all have to be aware
that no one in the Balkans will be spared from the cataclysmic consequences of
this conflict.
Q: How could you estimate Macedonia's position in the context of the Kosovo
conflict? How much is Macedonia secure and how real are the statements from the
NATO Headquarters about their guarantees on Macedonian security?
A: Having been known as a "miracle in the Balkans" or a "beacon of hope",
Macedonia have been considered as an successful example of conflict prevention.
Macedonia has resisted many trials and threats - the external ones (during the
secession wars in former Yugoslavia) as well as the internal ones (due to its
own conflict potential). Undoubtedly, Macedonia has already been heavily
affected by this military conflict, or according to the Prime Minister
Georgievski - it has become the only innocent victim, of course in a state
level. Speaking about security, I would like to stress that there are many
different ways in which one country can be insecured or be safe. Maybe NATO can
provide a kind of guarantees to Macedonia's military security. But, what is
about the other aspects of security, such as: political, societal, economic and
environmental? From theoretical and practical point of view, there are many
cases when citizens of a certain country feel safe despite the fact that they
are really endangered, and vice versa. In Macedonian case, I would say that we
have a situation of a total confusion among our citizens in regard to their
awareness of how endangered or how safe they really are.
Q: What are Macedonia's chances to join NATO and EU under current
circumstances?
A: I would rather pose the question in a different way: why should Macedonia
consider this issue of its NATO and EU membership as a priority under these
circumstances? Don't we have more urgent problems to resolve at the moment? Our
belonging and wish to join united and democratic Europe have no alternative.
But, maybe it is a high time for NATO to consider its own transformation and
its future mission. After this 1999, nothing will be the same in Europe and in
the world, and I strongly believe that the time of changes will take place very
soon. Macedonia must not be a passive observer of this process, especially
regarding this very region. We have proven our ability to play a role of a
factor of peace in the region in a very difficult time, not so long ago in 1991
and afterwards. Now we are facing another maturity test for our state and our
citizens.
Q: How do you feel about refugee problem from Kosovo? Why this exodus happened?
Which aspects of the refugee problem are specially important from Macedonian
perspective?
A: An exodus like this must not and cannot leave anyone indifferent. Having in
mind the proportion of the refugees, without any dilemma one must say that it
is an enormous tragedy of innocent civilians. I do not want to sound cynical,
but I believe that one must consider this problem in an opposite way than it is
usually done and imposed by CNN and some other media in the world. One-sided
explanations simply do not mirror the truth. It is true that a huge part of
this tragedy has been a direct consequence of the Serb military forces' terror
in Kosovo. In this context, I would only like to add something else, which is
usually ignored - Kosovo is a land of desperados, gangs, para-military forces
of many different kinds. Therefore, I believe that even Yugoslav military and
police forces do not have a control over the developments there. In fact, no
one has the control there... The second reason for this exodus is the
bombarding: it is absurd to expect that Kosovo population will stay in their
homes in the situation when their own "protectors" are making "mistakes"
occasionally. At the same time, one ought to stress that Kosovo Albanians
leaders appealed to their countrymen to leave the province when it became clear
that the airstrikes would start. A man who is ready to fight for a national
cause, certainly feels much better when his own family is in safe place.
Unfortunately, Macedonia is not able to help all these refugees, having more
than 300,000 unemployed people, and many people on the edge of poverty. I would
not like to talk about fears of possible ethnic (demographic) disbalance caused
by the influx of a big number of Kosovo refugees. In my opinion, the sources of
the internal conflicts can be usually find in scarce resources and unequal
distribution of wealth and power in society.
Q: The option of sending ground troops in Kosovo can be heard more and more
often. Is this option possible? In a hypothetical situation like this do you
think that Macedonia's territory would have been used for military
intervention? What is your opinion? How can you interpret the statement of the
Albanian Prime Minister Majko on "Greater Albania" as well as Yugoslavia's wish
to join the union between Russia and Byelorussia? Are there any signals for
global political games and neo-divisions?
A: In my opinion, NATO ground troops in Kosovo would mean only one thing - an
escalation of the military conflict, and certainly not a way to achieve a
political solution. It seems that NATO is in a situation when it does not have
any idea how to finalize the adventure it entered without clear political goal
and which was considered as a Blitzkrieg. Every military action must have a
political goal, and in this case it must have been peace in Kosovo. Having in
mind a range of objective indicators, for which existence NATO is deeply aware
and is hesitating so long with the decision-making on sending ground troops,
the re-direction of the military activities on the ground will certainly be
very exhausting and long, put aside the bestiality of that clash. According to
the latest comments of some military analysts in the media, one can distinguish
two standpoints on this issue. The first viewpoint advocate not intervening
with ground troops, and vice versa - the second one, advocate the opposite but
instead of sending NATO troops it calculate with sending KLA fighters supported
by NATO logistics. I am very happy that Macedonian government has an official
and clear position is not to allow NATO intervention from Macedonian soil, and
I really hope that it will keep that attitude in the future. Macedonia deserves
to be spared of any involvement in this conflict, regardless all declarative
international support for its position. Macedonia is not a NATO member state,
let alone the fact that there has not been adopted any decision by the UN
Security Council. As for statements about "Greater Albania" or joining new
pan-Slavic union, I strongly believe that any moves motivated by creating
additional confrontations or divisions of spheres of interests in the Balkans -
cannot bring anything good for the region.
Q: In many occasions, the airstrikes against FR Yugoslavia have been connected
with possible escalation and spilling over scenario. Do you think that a new
Balkan war is possible? Will the political solution prevail over the military
one?
A: As a researcher of peace and conflict resolution, I have no dilemma. The
highest priority at the moment is - termination of all the hostilities and
armed clashes in Kosovo and in Yugoslavia. In my deep conviction, violence can
only bread more violence. In the theory it is known as a spiral of violence. It
is very sad that all the parties in this conflict (the Serbian, the Albanian
side and NATO) speak in triumphalistic terms on "gaining the war". Have some of
them forgot that all this was started in order to stop the atrocities and to
prevent the spilling over scenario? There is no alternative to a political
solution, but now the question is who will survive and will be able to
negotiate after all... In my view, it is never too late for negotiations, even
then when everything looks hopeless...
Q: The war in our neighbourhood has provoked many protests all over the world.
Such protests occurred in Macedonia too, but they are labeled as anti-American,
anti-NATO or even as a result of a "Serbian plot". Nowadays we are witnessing
some rigid responses against the participants in these protests (such as purges
in the school system made by the Minister of education, some police measures,
etc.) What is your opinion on these events?
A: I am very glad that you have put the issue of the protests in Macedonia in
the context of the other protests all over the world. Protests, even those ones
in the streets - in case they are nonviolent and do not call for hatred against
other people - are a democratic way of expression of a disagreement with some
political decisions. In my view, the violence which occurred in some of the
protests in Macedonia is an indication of a lack of a political culture in
manifestation of a personal disagreement. In an emerging democracy, both the
citizens and the political power have to learn how to behave in similar
situations. I would like to turn your attention on a very famous case before
the US Supreme Court during the protests against the war in Vietnam, when the
Court made a decision that burning of the American flag had not been a criminal
act, but rather a specific, symbolic way of freedom of speech and beliefs. One
must not ignore the fact that today American intellectuals are among the most
prominent opponents to NATO intervention in Yugoslavia. Also civil societies
and the public opinion in Western democracies are leading factors in this
process. Therefore, I consider these manifestations as a virtue of the genuine
and mature democracy.
Biljana Vankovska-Cvetkovska, Faculty of Philosophy (Political Science and
Military Law), University of Skopje, Macedonia
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