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11.04.2008

KOSOVO AS THE INSTRUMENT OF GLOBAL INFLUENCE

   

Samvel Martirosyan

Self-declaration of Kosovo and the recognition of the republic by the leading powers will not only bring to far reaching consequences but is also the metamorphized reanimation of the American policy of the beginning of the previous century.

Kosovo declared its independence on February 17. The new country was immediately and unilaterally recognized by Afghanistan, Japan, Belgium, France, Italy, Great Britain, Croatia, Germany and the US. This group was followed by a number of such European countries as Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

It is clear that the recognition of the self-declared country by the leading western countries inspired a number of other nations which consider the case of Kosovo a precedent. In connection with Kosovo are more often mentioned the conflicts in Nogorni Karabakh, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Trans-Dniester Region.

In this context it is of interest to consider a number of cases bearing any relation with the European Union. Declaration of the new stat in the very Europe makes a ground for the other European nations aspiring for independence to raise their problems more actively.

After the French government was among the first countries to greet declaration of Kosovo’s independence, the separatists from Corsica made a haste to appear on the stage to voice their desire to become independent from France. The Corsican organization Corsica Nazione Independente apperaed with an announcement which was supporting “fraternal nation of Kosovians.” “Our movement has undergone courageous struggles which You and the nation of Kosovo carry on against the false sovereignty which Belgrade wanted to impose you with the status of autonomy giving no firm guaranties for your country,” is said in the letter of the Corsican separatist organization to the prime minister of the territory Hashim Tachi, informs Itar Tass. The Corsicans also expressed hope to see the Kosovian delegation in their island in summer.

Basque and Catalan separatist also responded to this news very quickly. As the government representative Miren Askarate has announced (according to RIA news), the Regional Government of the Basques autonomous Country situated in the north of Spain considers Kosovo’s decision worth to be followed. The matter concerns the solution of national conflict, analogical to the one existing in the Country of Basques and Catalonia (north-east of Spain), by means of the democratic right of self-determination of the nation.

While the Kosovians are readily supported in Europe, the factor of instability inside the EU increases, let alone the Balkans which is again becoming the center of chaos.

The United States has long been using the national element to make instability in the regions of its geopolitical interest. A striking example of turning to this factor is the one of the US president Woodro Wilson at the period of the Second World War. By that time Wilson lay down a thesis of a nation’s self-determination, which was finally summarized in so called “14 points,” which he presented in 1918 as the basic norms of regulating the world conflict. Just at that period was consolidated the self-determining right of nations as the main state making subjects. So was given birth to the process of formation of nation states. At that, in his policy Washington again implemented double standards while retracing the Eurasian map.

Most probably a decision was made in Washington to reanimate these processes giving them a new impetus. From the one hand, to raise the issue of the nations’ self-determination on international level once more. From the other hand, there is an obvious selective approach to the issue.

As a matter fact it was given birth not to the precedent of a nation’s self-determination (as during the past decades that right has been used many times as in case of Bangladesh, Easter Timor and Eritrea) but the one of binary: use of the principle of self-determination in a certain selected case with exertion of pressure on a number of leading states for the fixation of the fact.

In that way the White House will have the lever of pressure on certain regions in its hand. Taking into consideration the current geopolitical processes and the interests of the United States, one may expect the selective self-determination to be already used in the near future against the main economic and geopolitical competitors of Washington.

As it has been mentioned above, a number of separatist movements still remain actual for Europe aspiring for integration. It is not excluded that will appear new, smaller hearths, which will always try to fail the idea of the European family. Although there is no need to expect any serious developments in this relation in Corsica and Basqania and Flanders in Belgium, however, these processes will have a certain negative influence on the internal condition of the European Union and will continue discrediting the basic European values.

Another point of destabilization may become the two regions in China – one of the main competitors of Washington in the world arena. The matter concerns Tibet captured by china in 1950 as well as Xinjiang-Uigurian autonomous region. If the problem of Tibet is less dangerous, than Uninurian separatism, including the mixture of nationalism and Islamic radicalism, may become a serious problem for Chinese authorities, should they raise their head. Besides, the Uigurian question may also be raised in Afghanistan.

In that way, taking into consideration the extent of power Washington has directed to the question of Kosovo, one should suppose that selective use of the Wilson thesis may be implemented in the regions important for the White House.


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