On Sunday, February 17, 2008, the territory of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Shortly thereafter, and over the objections of Serbia and Russia, it was recognized by most Western states as the newest sovereign member of the international system. Concerns over Kosovo’s “precedent” for the status of other separatist territories have been expressed throughout the international community, while, over the last year, Kosovar independence has been increasingly linked to the legal status of the Abkhazian and South Ossetian “frozen conflicts” within Georgia.
Memo #:
7
Series:
2
PDF:
PDF URL:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/pepm_007.pdf
Claire Tow Professor of Political Science and Director of the Harriman Institute for the Study of Russia, Eurasia and Eastern Europe
Affiliation
Barnard College, Columbia University
Expertise
International Relations of Eurasia, Central Asian Politics, Sovereignty, Governance
