The International Court of Justice issued a long-awaited ruling on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008. I will leave it to our international legal eagle friends at Opinio Juris to parse the jurisprudence, but suffice it to say the ICJ concluded that Kosovo did nothing illegal. More specifically, the ICJ ruled that Kosovo did not violate Serbia’s soverenghty by declaring independence.
So, what does this mean for Kosovo’s march to gain international recognition as an independent country? And what kind of effect will this ruling have on simmering ethnic tensions in throughout the Balkans? I speak with Balkan expert Daniel Serwer of the United States Institute for Peace who answers these questions reflects on the long term consequences of today’s ruling.
Balkan Expert Daniel Serwer Discusses Kosovo Independence by UN Dispatch