Rocznik_2014-215

Abit Hoxha, Donika Emini
1.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
in Kosovar Perspective:
An Agenda for International Cooperation
Abstract: Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) shared a similar fate in
former Yugoslav conflicts and international development on the subject of
nation building, international intervention and international relations. The
two countries now are making an incremental progress towards the EU integration.
However, challenges remain in many aspects, including the regional
cooperation. This paper aims to look at the Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina
relations in last decade or so with the objective to conduct an analysis
of the current developments in the region. This paper looks at the political,
economic and security cooperation as an amalgamation of inter-dependent
relations in the post-Yugoslav context, with all the ethno-political challenges
and geo-political burdens.
Keywords: Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav conflicts, the
EU.
Historical Overview
1.1. Former Yugoslavia
The relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are linked
historically since the Ottoman Empire until the collapse of Yugoslavia.
However, the history of the Balkans is riddled with historic resources
allowing for symbolic distinctions to be manipulated for political
goals 1 . This is particularly evident within former Yugoslavia, where
ethnic, religious, and nationalist divisions have lasting consequences
on international relations. Yet, relations since independence of both
states have been non-existent due to a lack of unanimity in the central
1 Barth F., Boundaries and connections. Signifying identities: Anthropological perspectives on boundaries
and contested values, 17-36.