Stojanovic: The only benefit is that the Security Council session is open, putting the dramatic issue of the Serbs in Kosovo in focus

Foreign policy commentator Miroslav Stojanovic assessed for Kosovo Online that the greatest benefit of the Security Council session was that it was open to the public, as it brought to the forefront of the international community's attention the dramatic problem faced by the Serbs in Kosovo.

He emphasized that he had not been surprised by the scheduling of the session, as it was a kind of formality.

"When a country requests a session, strong arguments are needed for it not to be put on the agenda. At this moment, of course, the chair is held by a country that can, in a way, be favorable to us. It comes from a world that has been very cooperative, especially during the time of the Non-Aligned Movement, and it is good that this country is now presiding over the Security Council," Stojanovic believes.

According to him, the greatest benefit is that the session is open to the public because there was significant pressure for it to be a closed session.

"The decision obviously came at the last moment thanks to the engagement of the chair to make it open to the public. That is the only benefit of this session. Because it doesn't solve anything. But it brings to the agenda of the international community a truly dramatic problem of the Serbs in Kosovo. They will not make any decisions because certainly no resolution on anything, not only binding but more explicit, will be adopted because the Americans will veto it. You know that such a system allows the veto of five Security Council members to always do so, and it is rare for political compromises to achieve unanimity. But for me, the important and only significance is that there will be an open session and that the very dramatic problem of the Serbs in Kosovo will be on the agenda of the international public at this moment. Both in media and politically. I do not expect any conclusions that will be warning in many respects towards Pristina, and especially not a common stance," Stojanovic emphasized.

Our interlocutor also commented on the possibility that this session could be a step towards bringing the dialogue back under the auspices of the United Nations.

"I think that initiative is late; it is very complicated and difficult to do that now. Opportunities that existed have been missed. Simply withdrawing that question and problem from the UN and handing it over to the EU, in my opinion, probably caused a lot of consequences that we are now suffering. Within the UN, our maneuvering space was greater. This morning, the Ambassador of China was very explicit about it. Therefore, these two countries that still have power in the Security Council and veto could have contributed to us resolving things more effectively in our favor within that maneuvering space. In the EU, it is more complicated, with 27 countries and different interests. Especially since a large number of the most powerful countries in that community, just as America did, stated that Kosovo must be a sovereign and independent state," Stojanovic concluded.