Let us Lobby for Indian Recognition of Kosovo
Nandhi Varman
CTV.ca News Staff
Serbia's ambassador to Canada is preparing to hand over a diplomatic protest note over this country's recognition of Kosovo just as three neighbours of Serbia are to officially recognize the state.
Later today, Bulgaria, Hungary and Croatia are expected to become the first neighbouring countries to recognize Kosovo, an ethnic Albanian-dominated former province of Serbia.
Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia last month, but Canada didn't issue a statement of recognition until Tuesday.
"I was invited to the foreign ministry of Canada and I was told Canada would recognize as an act of solidarity with the G-7," Dusan Batakovic, Serbia's ambassador, told Canada AM on Wednesday.
"They were fully aware of the fact that all Serbian ambassadors from all the countries that have recognized Kosovo are recalled in protest in 48 hours."
About 30 countries have recognized Kosovo so far, he said.
Batakovic said he will be returning to Belgrade on Friday night, "maybe temporarily, but it depends."
The return will be based on whether "Canada modifies its stance on Kosovo in the months to come," he said.
If the stance is not modified, Batakovic said Serbia might not send him back.
He hoped the United Nations General Assembly would rule this fall that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence violated international law.
"Then these decisions (to recognize Kosovo), will be restored, and we can restart trying a viable and sustainable solution for Kosovo," he said.
Serbia doesn't understand how Canada can "reject democratic Serbia and embrace criminal ... structures in Kosovo," Batakovic said.
"Can you imagine if Quebec proclaims independence and notifies Ottawa, and Belgrade recognizes Quebec?"
On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said Kosovo doesn't set a precedent.
"Kosovo is a unique case, as illustrated by its recent history characterized by war and ethnic cleansing," he said.
"The unique circumstances which have led to Kosovo's independence mean it does not constitute any kind of precedent. Statements made by other countries recognizing Kosovo's independence have echoed this point."
Many western countries -- including the U.S. and Britain -- have said that Kosovo presented a unique case for independence because of a program of ethnic cleansing that Serbs orchestrated against ethnic Kosovars in the 1990s.
NATO forces ultimately used force to stop the crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic -- who had stripped Kosovo of its autonomy in 1989 -- was tried for war crimes at The Hague, but died in custody.
