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Kosovo is still part of Serbia-Montenegro, which is seeking to retain some form of sovereignty over the province. Its ethnic Albanian majority wants complete independence from Belgrade. Whereas some crucial UN-set standards such as the decentralization process, the return of refugees, and protection of minorities have not yet been implemented, the Kosovo status talks are underway, having officially began in November 2005. The international community has defined three principles: the province cannot go back to where it was, it will not split or merge with another state, and the negotiators should find a solution that is acceptable to both sides. Regional stability is also at stake in this process, the Yugoslav wars having shown that there is a real danger that problems in this region can deteriorate rapidly. Marina Glamotchak is Researcher at the Groupe de sociologie de la défense at the Ecole des Hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS). She is the author of  La transition guerrière yougoslave (Paris, L'Harmattan, 2002).

Diane Masson is specialist of Balkans. She is, among others, the author of L'Utilisation de la guerre dans la construction des systèmes politiques en Serbie et en Croatie, 1989-1995 (Paris, L'Harmattan, 2002).