Democratic Party candidate Boris Tadic narrowly defeated the leader of the Serbian Radical Party, Tomislav Nikolic, in the second round of elections.

Kosovo (Kosovo and Metohija) is an autonomous region within Serbia. Currently, the region is populated predominantly by Albanians (over 90%). Of the two million population of Kosovo, Serbs make up about 100 thousand (6%) with the national center in Kosovo Mitrovica.
During the medieval period, the core of the medieval Serbian state formed on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and from the 14th century until 1767, the throne of the Serbian patriarch was located here (near the city of Pec). Therefore, the Serbian claims to the region of Kosovo and Metohija are based on the principles of historical law. Albanians, in turn, insist on the predominance of ethnic law.

Historically, Albanians have long lived in Kosovo, but did not form a significant part of the population until the beginning of the 20th century. To a large extent, the ethnic composition of the region began to change after World War II, when Josip Broz Tito allowed Albanians who found themselves on the territory of Yugoslavia during the war to remain in Kosovo. The territory of Kosovo was first allocated as an autonomous region within Serbia within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945. The 1974 Yugoslav Constitution granted Serbia's regions de facto status as republics, with the exception of the right to secede. Kosovo, as an autonomous socialist region, received its own constitution, legislation, higher authorities authorities, as well as their representatives in all major union bodies.

However, in the late 1980s, the result of an internal political crisis, which led to a surge in violence and major economic difficulties, was the abolition of Kosovo's autonomous status. A new fundamental law of Serbia was adopted, which came into force on September 28, 1990 and restored the supremacy of republican laws over regional laws throughout the republic. Kosovo was left with only territorial and cultural autonomy.

Kosovo Albanians did not recognize the new constitution; Parallel Albanian power structures began to be created. In 1991, an illegal referendum was held in Kosovo, which approved the independence of Kosovo. Kosovo nationalists proclaimed the unrecognized “Republic of Kosovo” and elected Ibrahim Rugova as president. To fight for independence in 1996, the “ Liberation Army Kosovo" (KLA).

In 1998, the interethnic conflict escalated into bloody armed clashes. On September 9, 1998, the NATO Council approved a plan for military intervention in the Kosovo conflict. On March 24, 1999, without UN sanction, the military operation NATO under the name "Allied Force", which lasted until June 20, 1999, when the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops was completed.

Since 1999, more than 200 thousand ethnic Serbs have left the region due to ethnic conflicts between Serbs and Albanian separatists.

Today, the Kosovo settlement remains the most problematic issue Balkan agenda. In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244 of June 10, 1999, the central role in the peace process is assigned to the UN and its Security Council, and the civilian UN Mission for the Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR) of 16.5 thousand military personnel.

An international police force (3 thousand people) operates under the auspices of UNMIK. Its tasks include ensuring law and order in the region, monitoring the activities of the Kosovo Police Service (6.2 thousand people). The quota of the Russian police contingent within UNMIK is 81 people.

In May 2001, the head of UNMIK approved the “Constitutional Framework for Interim Self-Government in Kosovo,” which sets out the procedure for the formation of regional power structures. In accordance with this document, on November 17, 2001, the first elections to the Assembly (Parliament) of Kosovo were held.

On October 24, 2005, the UN Security Council, in the form of a statement by its chairman, gave the green light to the process of determining the future status of Kosovo. Martti Ahtisaari (Finland) became the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the status process. At a meeting of the Contact Group (CG) held in Washington on November 2, 2005, at the level of deputy foreign ministers, the “Guiding Principles” for developing the future status of Kosovo were approved. The document sets out the priority of the negotiation solution, the leadership role of the UN Security Council at all stages of the status process, consideration of all status options with the exception of the partition of Kosovo, as well as returning the situation in the region to the period before 1999 and unification with other territories.

One of the factors influencing the development of a decision on the status of the region was the Constitution of Serbia, adopted as a result of a nationwide referendum on October 28-29, 2006. Its preamble contains the provision that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia.

Russia supports international efforts aimed at building a democratic multi-ethnic society in Kosovo on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244. Russia is actively involved in resolving the Kosovo problem within the framework of the UN Security Council and the Contact Group (Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, USA, France). At the same time, the Russian side defends the priority of a negotiated settlement, the principles of universality and multiple options for resolving the issue of Kosovo’s status, rejecting the thesis that there is no alternative to the region’s independence. Russia proposed to develop a “road map”, within the framework of which the justified interests of the parties and the priorities of the leading international factors in the Kosovo settlement could be taken into account, and milestones for the parties’ movement towards agreement could be outlined, including on the paths of their European integration perspective. The United States believes that the only way out of the impasse is the Ahtisaari plan, which presupposes the independent status of the region under international control. Representatives of the United States and the European Union say that the negotiations have exhausted themselves, and the status of the region will be determined within the framework of the EU and NATO.

Main article: Islam in Serbia Mosque in Prizren Islam is the dominant religion in Kosovo. Traditionally I adhere to Islam... Wikipedia

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- (Srbia – Crna Gora; Srbija – Crna Gora), state in the SE. Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, pl. 102.2 km²; consists of 2 republics: Serbia (includes the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Montenegro. The capital is Be... Geographical encyclopedia

For the term "Kosovo" see other meanings. This article is about the modern state; for the state that existed from 1991 to 2000, see: Republic of Kosovo (1991 2000). Republic of Kosovo Alb. Republika e Kosovës Serb. Republic of Kosovo ... Wikipedia

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Not to be confused with Kossovo. Republic of Kosovo Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija Alb. Republika e Kosovës Serbian. Republic of Kosovo Serbian. Autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija Alb. Krahina Autonome e Kosovës dhe Metohisë ... Wikipedia

Story:

As a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, most of the territory of Kosovo became part of Serbia (a small area in the north-west was annexed to Montenegro). At the same time, the independent Albanian state was formed. The fact that more than half of the ethnic Albanians remained outside Albania contributed to the aggravation of Albanian-Slavic tensions in the region. In addition, territorial changes marked the beginning of a new round of ethnic migrations: Serbs from other areas began to move to Kosovo, which was encouraged by the Serbian government, and part of the Albanian population emigrated outside the country. During the First World War, as a result of the defeat of the Serbian army in 1915, the territory of Kosovo was captured by the troops of Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The Albanians generally supported the Central Powers in the war and took part in the battles against the Serbs. In the summer and autumn of 1918, Serbian troops again liberated Kosovo, and at the end of the war, the region became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 - Yugoslavia). Within Yugoslavia, the Albanian issue remained relevant. Albanian nationalists launched guerrilla warfare for the annexation of Kosovo to Albania, while the government encouraged the colonization of the region by Montenegrin peasants. During the interwar period, several tens of thousands of Albanians left Kosovo.

During World War II, most of Kosovo was included in the Italian protectorate of Albania. During the period of Italian occupation, Albanian armed forces launched a struggle to expel the Serbs from the territory of the region. According to Serbian estimates, from 10 to 40 thousand were killed, from 70 to 100 thousand people were forced to leave Kosovo. In 1944, largely thanks to the efforts of Kosovo partisans, the territory of the region was liberated and again became part of Yugoslavia. According to the Constitution of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, the autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija was formed, consisting of Socialist Republic Serbia. Tito, hoping for Albania to join Yugoslavia, encouraged the resettlement of Albanians in Kosovo and, on the contrary, limited the possibilities for the return of the Serbian population. Although Kosovo was inferior in terms of economic development to other regions of Yugoslavia, the standard of living here was significantly higher than in neighboring Albania, which contributed to the influx of refugees from there. By the 1960s, the ratio of the shares of Albanians and Serbs in the region was already 9:1. Despite the gradual expansion of Kosovo's autonomy, the desire for independence and orientation towards the regime of Enver Hoxha in neighboring Albania increased among the Albanian population.

In 1968, a wave of protests by Albanian radicals swept across the region. The struggle took the form of party differences between the League of Communists of Serbia and the League of Communists of Kosovo. In the same year, the authorities of the region removed the word “Metohija” from its name under the pretext of its non-use by the Albanian majority, but officially the region retained its old name for another 6 years until 1974, when a new Constitution was adopted, and the word “” was also added to the name of the region. socialist" (Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo), this option was canceled by Milosevic in 1989.

Under the new Constitution, Kosovo's autonomy was significantly expanded. The region received its representative in the Presidium of Yugoslavia with the right of veto, the Albanian language became one of the official languages, and the possibility of creating Albanian secondary and higher education institutions opened up. educational institutions. However, Kosovo still remained an autonomous region within Serbia.

In 1981, mass student demonstrations took place in the region demanding that Kosovo be given the status of a full republic within Yugoslavia, which resulted in bloody clashes and was suppressed by federal troops. The Serbo-Albanian confrontation reached a new level: Serbs were discriminated against local authorities authorities, clashes on ethnic grounds have become more frequent, Albanian national movement radicalized, and anti-Albanian sentiment grew among Serbs. In 1986, the first manifesto of part of the Serbian intelligentsia was published, calling for the “dealbanization” of Kosovo.

Serbo-Albanian antagonism escalated after Slobodan Milosevic came to power in Yugoslavia in 1988, who, using nationalist rhetoric, was able to gain wide popularity among the Serbian population in the context of the beginning of the collapse of Yugoslavia. In 1989, a referendum was held in Serbia, approving a new constitution that radically curtailed the autonomy of the national provinces. Kosovo Albanians boycotted the referendum. As a result, the parliament in Kosovo was dissolved, broadcasting of state radio and television stations in the Albanian language ceased, dismissals of Albanians from government agencies began, and teaching in Albanian was curtailed in some educational institutions. In response, mass strikes, protests, and ethnic clashes began. In 1990, a state of emergency was declared in Kosovo. Nevertheless, separatist aspirations among Albanians increased. On September 22, 1991, the creation of the independent Republic of Kosovo was proclaimed, and then an unauthorized (among the Albanian community) referendum on independence and presidential elections were held, in which Ibrahim Rugova was elected president. On October 22, 1991, Albania recognized the independence of the Republic of Kosovo. The formation of separatist armed forces began, which in 1996 were united into the Kosovo Liberation Army. A guerrilla-terrorist war broke out in the region, the victims of which were hundreds of civilians, officials and military personnel of Yugoslavia. Initially, only police units fought the separatists, but in 1998 the Yugoslav army entered into hostilities. The war was accompanied by massive repression, killings of civilians and ethnic cleansing on both sides of the conflict. Albanian militants destroyed many monuments of Orthodox culture. In 1999, NATO intervened in the hostilities: Yugoslav cities and military installations were subjected to massive bombing. About half a million, mostly Albanians, were left homeless. As a result, the Serbian government was forced to agree to the deployment of the NATO KFOR military contingent to Kosovo and the transfer of the region under UN control, which was carried out on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244 of June 10, 1999.

After the temporary administration of the UN mission was established in Kosovo, a significant number of refugees remained in Serbia, mainly from among the Serbs and Roma. According to Serbian data, their number in 2002 was 277 thousand people.

On October 23, 2004, elections to the Kosovo parliament were held under the control of the interim administration. The majority of votes (47%) were given to the Democratic Union of Kosovo (leader - Ibrahim Rugova, moderates). The Democratic Party of Kosovo (leader - former field commander Hashim Thaci) received 27% of the vote. Another former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramush Haradinaj, led the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party. All Albanian parties supported the independence of the region. The vast majority of Kosovo Serbs ignored the elections - about 900 people voted, that is, less than 1% of the Serbian population. In their opinion, the region has not created normal conditions to hold elections, as demonstrated by the bloodshed of March 2004, when riots and pogroms left 19 people dead, 4,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians homeless, hundreds of houses burned and dozens destroyed Orthodox churches and monasteries.

The number of seats in Kosovo's parliament is distributed along ethnic lines: ethnic Albanians hold 100 of the 120 seats, the rest are reserved for national minorities, including 10 for Serbs. The president and government of Kosovo are elected by parliament. The temporary administration of the UN mission was in charge of the police and justice system, civil administration, formation civil institutions and democratization, economic reconstruction and economic development. Gradually, internal management functions were transferred to the Kosovo authorities.

On December 6, the government of Kosovo was headed by Ramush Haradinaj. In March 2005, he resigned. He was replaced by the more moderate Bairam Kosumi. After the death of Ibrahim Rugova in 2006, Fatmir Sejdiu was elected president, and the former KLA field commander, Agim Ceku, again became prime minister. In November 2006, Cheku was on an unofficial visit to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, where he held negotiations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, as well as with Russian deputies, who called on the Albanian leadership for direct contacts with Belgrade. Since January 9, 2008, the government of Kosovo has been headed by Hashim Thaci, a former field commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Initially, in relation to Kosovo, the world community tried to apply the formula “standards to status,” which assumed reaching a consensus between all political forces and ethnic groups, and only after that determining the status of the region. This policy, however, did not lead either to the return of the Serbs to the region or to an end to the violence. In October 2005, the UN Security Council spoke in favor of starting negotiations on the status of the region.

On January 31, 2006, at a meeting of the contact group on Kosovo at the level of foreign ministers (Russia, the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the EU and NATO), a statement was adopted according to which “when deciding on the status of Kosovo, it is necessary to fully take into account the nature of the Kosovo problem, which took shape as a result of the collapse of Yugoslavia, subsequent conflicts, ethnic cleansing and the events of 1999, as well as its long period under international governance based on UN resolution 1244." The ministers spoke out for the need to make every effort to reach an agreement on Kosovo as early as 2006. Russia opposed the establishment of specific deadlines for the settlement, as did Serbia. Three main principles of the negotiations were agreed upon: Kosovo cannot be returned to Serbian control, cannot be divided and cannot be annexed to another state. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has been appointed head of international mediators to resolve the Kosovo problem.

Negotiations on the status of Kosovo between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians began on February 20, 2006 in Vienna through the mediation of the special representative of the UN Secretary General, Martti Ahtisaari. The Albanian position was to demand full and unconditional independence for Kosovo. Serbia hoped to retain at least formal control over Kosovo and insisted that Kosovo Serbs in their communities be given self-government in matters of health, education, legal and social services, and security matters. Legal basis Resolution 1244 remained in the negotiations, which, in particular, contained confirmation of the “inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia” and did not mention anything more than “the provision of substantial autonomy within Yugoslavia.”

On February 17, 2008, the Kosovo Parliament declared Kosovo's independence unilaterally. On March 14, Kosovo Serbs protesting against the region's independence took action and seized the Albanian courthouse. The building was stormed by about 200 people and they held the building for 3 days. On March 17, reinforced UN troops of 500 men recaptured the building and arrested 53 people. However, when the arrested were being transported by a UN convoy, a crowd of Serbs attacked him and threw stones, Molotov cocktails, and grenades. In total, 42 soldiers were wounded and 2 vehicles were severely damaged. After this, UN troops were ordered to leave the Serbian enclave in the north of the region. On Tuesday night, one Ukrainian peacekeeper died.

On November 15, 2009, the first municipal elections since the declaration of independence were held in Kosovo. The Democratic Party of Kosovo, led by Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, won them. Second place went to their opponents from the Democratic League of Kosovo, led by the country's President Fatmir Sejdiu. The third came the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, led by one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramush Haradinaj.

On December 1, 2009, hearings began at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. On July 22, 2010, the International Court of Justice recognized the legality of the decision of the Kosovo authorities to declare independence from Serbia

On October 15, 2010, the country experienced the first political crisis in its history: the Democratic League of Kosovo, under the leadership of former President Fatmir Sejdiu, decided to leave the ruling coalition. The crisis began in October, when the country's constitutional court ruled that the country's president could not simultaneously serve as party leader.

On March 8, 2011, the first negotiations in the history of Kosovo with Serbia took place in Brussels. The political status of Kosovo was not discussed. Belgrade's position: improving the life of the Serb community in Kosovo. Pristina's position: normalization of relations with Serbia.

In July 2011, a conflict arose between the authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo and the Kosovo Serbs over control of two crossings on the province’s border with Central Serbia, which the Kosovo authorities consider as state border. In fact, KFOR forces also took Kosovo’s side. The conflict was preceded by unsuccessful negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade on customs regulation.

On April 19, 2013, in Brussels, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci initialed an agreement on the principles of normalization of relations. It concerns the status and functions of the Serb communities in northern Kosovo, but not the status of Kosovo itself. The agreement provides for the formation of a new unified community/association of Serb communities in Kosovo, which should control the areas economic development, education, health, urban and agriculture. This association can be given additional powers by the “central authorities” of Kosovo. The police forces of the Serbian part of Kosovo should be fully integrated into a single Kosovo service, but the command of the regional police department, which will take control of the four Serb communities (North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic), should be commanded by a Kosovo Serb. The judiciary of northern Kosovo should be integrated into Kosovo and operate under Kosovo laws, but a special district court should be established in the Serbian part of the city of Mitrovica. It is envisaged that elections for the leadership of Serbian municipalities will be held in 2013 with the support of the OSCE. Serbia and Kosovo agreed not to block each other's accession to the EU. To implement the agreement, a joint committee must be formed with EU support. Many Serbian opposition parties, Serbian Orthodox Church, nationalist movements and Kosovo Serbs oppose the agreement with Kosovo because they consider it a betrayal of national interests.

Recognized countries:

Afghanistan, Costa Rica, Albania, France, Turkey, USA, UK, Australia, Senegal, Latvia, Germany, Estonia, Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg, Peru, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, Finland, Japan, Canada, Monaco, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Norway, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Burkina Faso, Lithuania, San Marino, Czech Republic, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Belize, Malta, Samoa, Portugal, Montenegro, Macedonia, UAE, Malaysia, Micronesia, Panama, Maldives, Palau, Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Comoros, Bahrain, Jordan, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Malawi, Mauritania, Swaziland, Vanuatu, Djibouti, Somalia, Honduras, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Qatar, Guinea-Bissau, Oman, Andorra, Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Benin, Saint Lucia, Nigeria, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Ghana, Haiti, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Brunei, Chad, Papua - New Guinea, Burundi, East Timor, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Fiji, Dominica, Pakistan, Guyana, Tanzania, Yemen, Egypt, El Salvador, Grenada, Libya, Thailand, Tonga

Flag:

Map:

Territory:

Demography:

1,733,872 people
Density – 220 people/km²

Religion:

Languages:

Albanian, Serbian

Armed forces:

In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, after the NATO war against Yugoslavia, the collective security force KFOR was created, which entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999. The maximum number of KFOR reached 50 thousand military personnel. KFOR main bases:

Camp Bondsteel
Camp Casablanca

The Kosovo Protection Corps is a civilian authority created on 21 September 1999 under the auspices of UNMIK. It included many former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army. It had approximately 5,000 employees.

In March 2008, KFOR and the Kosovo Protection Corps began preparations for the formation of a new security force. According to the plan, the Security Forces should include 2,500 soldiers in permanent readiness units and 800 reservists aged 19-35 years. Lieutenant General Suleiman Selimi was appointed head of the General Staff.

KOSOVO, REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO, a self-proclaimed state recognized by some states in Europe, the USA, Albania, Afghanistan, etc.

Serbia did not recognize the independence of Kosovo and, according to the Serbian Constitution, Kosovo is an autonomous province.

Kosovo is a historical region in the south of Serbia, also known as the region of Kosovo and Metohija, covering an area of ​​10,887 square meters. km in the upper reaches of the valleys of the Drin and Ibar rivers. Main city– Pristina (194.3 thousand people). Others most major cities– Prizren (117.4 thousand), Pec (78.8 thousand), Kosovska Mitrovica (73.1 thousand) and Djakovica (72.9 thousand). Kosovo is inhabited by 1953.7 thousand people. The region has a high population density - 179 people per 1 sq. km. The name of the region comes from the Serbian Kos-drozd. The largest ethnic group is Albanians; according to 1991 data, they made up 77% of the region's population, Serbs - 13%, Bosnian Muslims - 4%, Gypsies - 2% and Montenegrins - 2%.

Kosovo in its modern borders corresponds to the medieval regions of Metohija, Prizren and Kosovo Polje, which the great Župan Stefan Nemanja, ruler of Serbia, annexed to his state in 1180–1190. This area became one of the centers of the medieval Serbian state: Pec was the residence of Serbian Orthodox archbishops and patriarchs, Prizren was the temporary Serbian capital. There were 1,300 monasteries in Kosovo until the end of the twentieth century. Most of the names in the region are Serbian. Kosovo in the history of Serbia is also of great importance because of the military defeat of the country and its Christian allies, which was inflicted on them by the Turks in the Battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389. The Serbian prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic was killed, and Serbia became a vassal Ottoman Empire. However, victory was given to the Turks; the Serbian national hero Milos Obrenovic killed the Turkish Sultan. In Serbian national culture, Kosovo remains a great emotional symbol of rebirth after a national tragedy. Until XVIII, the majority of the region's population were Serbs. During the wars between Austria and the Ottoman Empire in 1690, the Serbian Patriarch Arseniy III (Chernoevich), many of his clergy, as well as part of the population that supported the Austrians, moved with them to the southern part Hungary. Over time, their properties and houses were taken over by Muslim Albanians who had previously lived in the area. Privileges of Muslims in Ottoman Empire led to the Islamization of the Albanians. By the end of the 19th century, Serbs already made up about half of the region's population. Serbian devotion to Kosovo's sacred sites continued even after the ethnic composition of its population changed. During the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, Serbia regained Kosovo. Serbian and then Yugoslav authorities pursued a policy of assimilation or eviction of Albanians. Albanian-language schools were closed and Albanian lands were confiscated. Thousands of Albanians emigrated. The Serbian authorities were forced to fight the Kosovar rebels (Kachaks) and nationalist organizations that enjoyed the support of Albania.

In the spring of 1998 the UN and OSCE proposed the FRY to conclude a three-year agreement, according to which NATO would have the opportunity to send 30 thousand troops to Kosovo to ensure peace and democratic elections. The Yugoslav authorities regarded this step as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. After many days of negotiations that took place in October 1998, S. Milosevic concluded an agreement with the American representative R. Holbrooke, according to which the skies over Kosovo were provided for patrolling by NATO reconnaissance aircraft, and 2 thousand OSCE observers were brought into the region. At the same time, Serbian special forces were being withdrawn from Kosovo.

In February 1999, in France at Rambouillet Castle, under the auspices of the contact group, negotiations began between the Serbian authorities and representatives of the Kosovo Albanians to find options for overcoming the crisis, which ended without result. The Yugoslav leadership strongly opposed the entry of NATO troops into Kosovo. The second round of negotiations in March 1999 was also unsuccessful.

During this period, the situation in Kosovo became critical. In response to the escalation of hostilities by Kosovo Albanians, a 40,000-strong force was introduced into the region. Serbian army, which again began, together with the police, to liquidate KLA bases. Armed clashes were accompanied by casualties among the local population. Many Albanian families fled to Albania and Macedonia, where refugee camps were set up. Western means mass media Serbs were accused of genocide of Albanians. The facts cited to prove this were subsequently not confirmed. This was the reason for NATO military action against Yugoslavia in the spring and summer of 1999 and the subsequent movement of the Albanian population from Kosovo to other countries. NATO's aggression, codenamed "Allied Force", began on March 24 and lasted 78 days until June 10, 1999. Air strikes were carried out throughout the country, including Belgrade and other major cities; Many businesses, hospitals, and bridges were destroyed. More than 2 thousand Yugoslav citizens died, including old people and children, and the total damage, according to some sources, amounted to approx. 100 billion dollars. The mass exodus of Albanians from Kosovo began. Both Serbs and Albanians died under the bombing. Finally, Yugoslavia agreed to the withdrawal of its troops from Kosovo and the deployment of multinational international forces under the auspices of NATO - KFOR. These forces also included Russian units (3 thousand people).

After the cessation of NATO bombing in June 1999, the return of Albanian refugees began, at the same time the Serbs began to leave the territory of Kosovo, who were attacked by Albanian extremists under the cover of NATO troops. In 2001, from the territory of Kosovo, Albanian extremists launched armed operations in Macedonia.

According to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, the territorial integrity of the FRY is recognized and administration in Kosovo is carried out under the supervision of international civilian forces (UN Mission in Kosovo - UNMIK) and international security forces (KFOR) with the participation of NATO. There was a 50,000-strong KFOR military contingent in the country, which by the beginning of 2002 had been reduced to 39,000. After the fall of power of the Union of Right Forces and the transfer of Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal, the situation did not change. Following the example of Montenegro, Kosovo introduced the German mark as a unit of account. More than 50 discriminatory laws against Albanians have been repealed, but most of them are applied de facto against non-Albanians, especially Serbs. Terrorists who previously operated as part of the KLA are now attacking the Serbian inhabitants remaining in the region and blowing up Serbian churches.

As a result of the local elections held on October 28, 2000, the forces supporting the moderate position of Ibrahim Rugova won, but at the same time, the position of extremist forces led by KLA leader Hashin Tati strengthened. The election results were not recognized by Belgrade.

Since 2001, the EU's role in solving the Kosovo problem has been increasing. In the spring of 2001, the situation worsened sharply due to the intervention of the KLA in the conflict between Macedonians and Albanians.

On November 17, 2001, elections to the local parliament (Assembly) were held in Kosovo, the results of which were recognized by the special representative of the UN Secretary General in Kosovo on November 24. 64.3% of registered voters took part in them. Largest number The Democratic League of Kosovo (leader I. Rugova) received votes - 45% of the votes (47 seats out of 120); in second place is the Democratic Party (leader H. Thaci) - 26 seats; in third place is the Serbian Return coalition with 22 mandates (10 of them were initially reserved for it). The remaining mandates were distributed among small parties.

On March 4, 2002, after two unsuccessful attempts (December 10, 2001 and January 10, 2002), I. Rugova was elected president of Kosovo, for whom 88 out of 119 deputies voted. However, Rugova has many opponents: representatives of the Thaci faction accuse him of being too soft towards the Serbs, while representatives of the Return, on the contrary, consider his positions anti-Serbian. On the same day, a government was formed headed by the leader of the Democratic Party, B. Rexhepi. The Prime Minister considers the Kosovars' main goal to achieve independence. The troubled region of Kosovo continued to remain under the supervision of international peacekeeping forces.

The UN Security Council has not reached a consensus on how to resolve the situation in Kosovo. Russia supported Serbia in this matter. UN Special Representative Martti Ahtisaari was the de facto author of Kosovo's independence. He developed a plan for the development of this territory. According to his plan, Kosovo would effectively gain independence, but would not receive the right to unite with Albania, just as it would not have the right to unite again with Serbia.
On January 9, 2008, Kosovo parliamentarians voted to appoint Hashim Thaci as head of the Kosovo government.

On February 17, 2008, the Kosovo parliament unilaterally declared the province's independence from Serbia. There were armed clashes and conflicts between the inhabitants of Kosovo: Serbs and Albanians.

In February 2008, recognition of Kosovo's independence began and this process continues to this day. Among those who recognized independence: the USA, Australia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Greece and other countries, members of the European Union supported the Kosovo Albanians.

Russia has not recognized Kosovo's independence and believes that a precedent is being created that will destroy the system of international law. President Putin commented on this decision: “Once again I want to emphasize that we believe that supporting the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo is immoral and illegal. The territorial integrity of states is enshrined in the fundamental principles of international law, there is UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which speaks of the territorial integrity of Serbia, and all UN members must follow these decisions.” Russia will take this factor into account when resolving issues of recognition of unrecognized states in the former USSR.

At an extraordinary meeting on February 18, 2008, the Serbian Parliament adopted a decision to annul the declaration proclaiming independence in the Kosovo region. Deputies voted for this decision unanimously.

On November 15, 2009 municipal elections were held. Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo won the majority.

The first negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo took place in 2011 in Belgium. During the negotiations, it was possible to agree on issues of customs regime and air traffic. In 2012, an agreement was signed between Serbia and Kosovo, according to which Serbia gave permission for Kosovo to participate in regional forums, but with a special clause about Kosovo’s status.

The negotiations held between Pristina and Belgrade at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012 were of greatest importance for the results of the campaign. In March 2011 In Belgium, direct negotiations took place between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo on issues of customs regime and air traffic. The European Union acted as a mediator in the negotiations. The parties managed to reach agreement on the resumption of air traffic, as well as determine the procedure for the activities of border and customs services.

In February 2012, Serbia and Kosovo entered into an agreement under which Belgrade, which does not recognize the self-proclaimed republic, agreed to Pristina’s participation in international regional forums, subject to a special reference to its name - a footnote reading: “This inscription does not define the status of Kosovo and corresponds to UNSCR 1244." B. Tadic, who concluded this agreement, called it a success of his international policy, since the document will allow his country to apply for official status as a candidate for membership in the European Union. At the same time, the Serbian Radical Party called the agreement high treason. B. Tadic's rating dropped significantly after these negotiations.