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Regional Cooperation Council
South Eastern Europe – the new Balkan states
The political changes in the early nineteen nineties triggered a disaster in what was then Yugoslavia: wars and civil wars swept the region, turning friends to enemies and neighbour against neighbour. Yugoslavia imploded, spawning a whole series of new states.
Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia became independent in 1991. In 2004 Slovenia acceded to the European Union and NATO. Croatia has been an EU accession candidate since 2004, and Macedonia since 2005. Both countries have also expressed their interest in joining NATO.
Bosnia and Herzegovina also left what was left of Yugoslavia in 1991. This move precipitated civil war between Serbian, Croatian and Muslim Bosnian groups. The civil war was finally ended by the Dayton Agreement, signed in 1995 in Dayton (USA). The country is still suffering the consequences of this conflict. Bosnia and Herzegovina too aims to join both the European Union and NATO.
On the remaining territory of the collapsed Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a relatively loose union was agreed between Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. In May 2006, 55.5 per cent of Montenegrins voted for independence from Serbia in a referendum, and on 3 June 2006 the Montenegrin Parliament declared the Republic of Montenegro to be independent.
From 1999 to 2007 Kosovo was administered by the United Nations Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), in the wake of a civil ware between the Albanian majority of the population and the Serbian government. The war was ended in 1999 by a NATO military intervention.
In November 2005 the United Nations Security Council decided to commence status negotiations with Kosovo. The negotiations were intended to finally clarify the status of the province under international law. No agreement was reached, however.
On 17 February 2008 Kosovo's Parliament declared the independence of Kosovo from Serbia.
It is vital for the region to be closely integrated in European structures to ensure that the new order in the region can become established in peace.
