KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE AS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE A. Astapchuk Department of Theory and History of International Relations Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10/2, Moscow, Russia, 117198 Nowadays the Balkans probably can be considered as one of the most problematic and unstable regions that causes instability and threatens regional security. <...> It can be said that one of the most recent concerning issues in the Balkans, that attracted attention of leading international actors and caused strong antagonism is the case of Kosovo independence. <...> Process of disintegration of Yugoslavia and creation of new states will be examined together with paying attention to inter-ethnic relations in the region and the role of international actors in the events. <...> The unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija by Albanians on February 17, 2008 appeared to be another — and perhaps not the last — milestone in the ongoing process of the collapse of some states and creation of other ones on the ruins of the Yugoslav federation. <...> With all the ambiguity of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Kosovo, a new state appeared on the world political map, and this state demands international recognition and gradually receives it (by November 2008 sovereignty of Kosovo was recognized by more than 50 countries). <...> Kosovo constitutes complicated ethnic and religious entity consisting of a mix of groups (Albanian Muslims, Albanian Catholics, Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats and Roma) [1. <...> The population of Kosovo is about 2.2 million people, most of whom are Albanians. <...> The Balkan region in the 90-s of XX century was the scene of fierce radicalization of ethnic and national projects, and that provided a new look at the problems of nationalism, separatism, extremism, terrorism, and the rights of minorities. <...> At the same time, 116 Astapchuk A. Kosovo Independence as an International Issue the disappearance of the threat of global conflict and the ideological divide between East and West led the prerequisites for the creation of new mechanisms for international cooperation. <...> The events taking place in Kosovo since the mid-90-s are commonly referred to as ‘the Kosovo crisis’. <...> The first step of this process can be characterized by wars in Slovenia (1991), Croatia (1991— 1995), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992—1995), that ended for these states with gaining independence, as well as Macedonia’s peaceful way out of the Socialist Federal <...>