Albanian vs Serbian Point of View
The us & them chart
ALBANIAN POINT OF VIEW | SERBIAN POINT OF VIEW |
Independence or nothing | Everything but independence |
Right to self-determination | Primacy of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and internal self-determination (autonomy) |
Threats of unilateral declaration and violence | Legality and diplomacy only, retaliatory measures possible only if international law is breached |
Kosovo is a unique case | Dozens of similar cases worldwide: Kurdistan, Kashmir, Basque Country, Quebec, Taiwan, Tibet, Abkhasia... |
Independence = Last step in disintegration of Yugoslavia | Independence =First step in further Balkan destabilization |
“Milosevic.” | “Milosevic is dead.” |
“1999” | “1999-2007” |
Serbia “colonized” Kosovo in 1912 | Kosovo is the historical and spiritual cradle of the Serbian nation since the Middle Ages |
We are "victims of Russian neo-imperalism" | You are victims of "promises of independence" |
- no negotiability on independence - no changing of Kosovo borders - no changes to Martti Ahtisaari's package - unilateral declaration on day 121 - UNSC not needed for final decision | - no independence in any form - no negotiability on Serbian integrity - no continuation based on Ahtisaari - no deadlines - final decision stays with UNSC |