Recognition of Kosovo: limitations of the GDR model
Recognition of Kosovo: limitations of the GDR model

Summary/Abstract: The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to a reassess-ment of the system of international relations by various international actors,from China to the European Union (EU). For the EU, the reassessment meant,inter alia, the increase in priority of the EU integration of the Western Balkanstates. One of the prerequisites for the complete EU integration of the West-ern Balkans is the normalization of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo.The importance of such normalization is reminiscent of the significanceof the establishment of relations between FRG and GDR, in particu-lar the 1972 Basic Treaty for the security and stability in Europe at the timeof the détente (the GDR model). Given the pragmatic but reserved approachused in the 1972 Treaty, it was not surprising that the Treaty provisions wereused in drafting the Agreement on the path to normalization between Ko-sovo and Serbia.However, there are numerous crucial differences between the two situations,and a full understanding of such differences is critical for the implementationof the GDR model in the normalization of Serbia-Kosovo relations.In the article, some of the political, economic, religious, and legal factorsdifferentiating the FRG-GDR situation from the Serbia-Kosovo situation arecompared and analysed. Thus, the limitations of the GDR model will be deter-mined as used for the Serbia-Kosovo normalization. Such determination willbe useful in designing the future steps in the Serbia-Kosovo normalization.

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