Untying the Gordian Knot in the Balkans: Realpolitik, ‘Business as Usual’ or Thinking ‘Outside the Box’ on Dialogue, Reconciliation and Integration into ...

Dennis Sandole explores options for confidence building between Kosovar Albanians and Serbs in Northern Kosovo and Belgrade, following the Kosovar Albanian declaration of independence for Kosovo on 17 February 2008, and the subsequent Serb reaction of rejection, supported by, among others, the Russian Federation. The options for confidence building identified and discussed derive from the theory and practice of the multidisciplinary field of conflict analysis and resolution (CAR), which, by definition, locates them outside “the box” of traditional (Realpolitik) diplomatic thinking and discourse.

This book assesses the consequences and repercussions of Kosovo's declaration of independence, featuring contributions from the 16th Workshop of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Consortium Study Group on Regional Stability in Southeast Europe, held in Austria in May 2008. Issues discussed relate to the stability of Kosovo and the western Balkans as a whole as well as relations between Kosovo's neighbors such as Serbia and Macedonia. The book also covers whether Kosovo's secession could set a precedent for the region, US, EU and Russian involvement and the necessity of confidence building measures for progress to be achieved.