The questionable legality and political wisdom of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence: reflections

Early in August 2008 violent clashes between Georgia and forces of its separatist province South Ossetia (receiving economic, political and military support from Russia), drew renewed attention to the fragile political stability throughout the Caucasus region. One of the questions that come to mind is whether the long-standing ambition of South Ossetia to declare itself independent from Georgia, has been fuelled by the controversial unilateral declaration of independence (secession) of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) on 17 February 2008. At the time of Kosovo's secession the FRY formally still consisted of two components, namely Serbia and Kosovo.