LBF at Westminster Hall, London

The Lord Byron Foundation for Balkan Studies

Public briefing and press conference

Thursday, January 17, 2008, 3-5 PM at Central Hall Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH

KOSOVO: A PREVENTABLE DISASTER

Great Britain, as an ally of the United States and a key member of the EU, is facing a dilemma: to follow Washington in recognizing Kosovo's likely UDI, or to uphold the rule of law, the United Nations Charter, and the Westphalian principles that still retain their validity. The wrong decision on Kosovo may undermine the stability of the Balkans for decades to come; it may impact Britain¢s ability to fight Islamic terrorism, and affect her credibility as a respected upholder of international legality. As Iraq has shown, predictable mistakes turn into costly disasters. The speakers will provide a diagnosis of the problem of Kosovo, and recommend workable and legal solutions.

PANELISTS

Ambassador James Bissett – Chairman of The Lord Byron Foundation

Sir Brian Barder – Fformer UK Ambassador to Ethiopia, Poland and Benin, and High Commissioner in Nigeria and Australia; earlier at the UK Mission to the UN and at the Embassy in Moscow

Mark Littman QC – Author of Kosovo War and Democracy (Centre for Policy Studies). A leading authority on international law.

Ljubomir Kljakic – Deputy Minister for Kosovo and Metohija in the Government of Serbia

Dr. Srdja Trifkovic – Executive Director of The Lord Byron Foundation

A Paper by Sir Ivor Roberts, who is unable to attend, will be presented in absentia. Sir Ivor Roberts, former UK ambassador to Yugoslavia (1992 to 1997) is now President of Trinity College, Oxford

Organiser: Yugo Kovach, 01258 880 029 Ykovach@btinternet.com