New publication:
Liridon Lika and Blerim Reka, "The European Union's Relations with the Republic of Kosovo", in Arben Hajrullahu and Anton Vukpalaj (eds.), Forging Kosovo: Between Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence, Bern, Peter Lang, 2021, pp. 229-250.
Summary of the book:
Twenty years after the international intervention in Kosovo, the search for stability in Europe's youngest state and the rest of the Western Balkans remains elusive, as do lasting peace and development. While many books have been written on Kosovo's challenges, only a few of them include the perspective of its local scholars.
NATO's military intervention in 1999 played a significant role in transforming the political environment in Kosovo and in shaping the international debate and policy on the European future of the Western Balkans. During the two decades following intervention, Kosovo and the other countries in the region have avoided major armed conflict and taken some important steps towards regional cooperation and integration. Despite noteworthy improvement, however, peace and security remain fragile and continue to be threatened by old and new divisions. Beyond the region, international diplomats, policymakers, and scholars have often identified the 1999 intervention as an event that challenged and redefined our notions and perspectives about human rights, human security, and the roles and responsibilities of nation states and international organisations in the 21st century. Yet, as evidenced by the global response to ongoing crises in other regions of the world, the international community remains deeply divided over the use of military force for humanitarian purposes in general, and the role of NATO and other international organisations in particular. Given this, what is the perspective of Kosovar scholars on the country's current political, legal and societal developments?The purpose of this book, therefore, is to bring together some of the most prominent scholars of Kosovar origin in order to analyse recent developments in Kosovo and to reflect on the country's politics and society.The book is an interdisciplinary volume, collecting chapters from diverse methodological approaches and academic disciplines, creating a rich and multifaceted picture of the most pressing socio-political issues in Kosovo.To that end, the book Forging Kosovo: Between Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence analyses political, legal, economic, and sociological de- velopments since the 1999 international intervention in Kosovo, and assesses the achievements, failures, and the lessons (not-) to be learned from the unique vantage point of scholars with Kosovar origins.