PRAGUE — On Feb. 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence and has so far been recognized by more than 50 countries representing close to 60 percent of the world's economic power. Interethnic violence — which many feared — has largely been avoided and the mass exodus of Serbs that some also predicted has not occurred.
The Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement (the so-called Ahtisaari Plan), which provides for international supervision of Kosovo's independence, is gradually being implemented. A large civilian European Union mission has been deployed.
Unfortunately, however, we still cannot turn the page on this pernicious conflict, which has led to so much tragedy and has been a cause of instability in the Balkans for far too long. The issue will not go away, because Serbia persists in its rejection of the new reality, and is doing everything in its power to prevent normalization.