Kosovo recognition parade kicked off

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2008 13:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. and the European Union’s biggest powers
quickly recognized Kosovo as an independent nation Monday, widening
a split with Russia, China and some EU members strongly opposed to
letting the territory break away from Serbia.

The rift was on view for a second day at the U.N. Security Council,
which was holding an emergency session to discuss the declaration of
independence issued Sunday by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority.

"Each EU member state will itself decide whether to recognize
independence of Kosovo or not," said a joint statement issued by EU
Foreign Ministers.

France was the first EU country to support Kosovo’s independence. "This
will put an end to problems in the Balkans. Today we need
reconciliation, although this process will take a long period of
time," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said quoting President
Nicolas Sarkozy.

Similar statements came from Foreign Ministers of UK, Germany and
Italy.

"Berlin will officially recognize independence of Kosovo on Wednesday,"
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

According to an EU official, 17 out of 27 EU member states are going
to recognize Kosovo’s independence. It’s remarkable that Afghanistan,
the US. ally, was ahead of Europe to recognize independence of the
breakaway province.

Spain, which faces fierce ethnic strife in its Basque region, quickly
backed away from formal recognition. Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus,
all beset with minority divisions, also indicated they will not
recognize Kosovo.

Other countries adding to Kosovo’s tally included Albania, Turkey,
Finland and Lithuania.

Bulgaria announced that recognition will follow during several weeks,
Strana.ru reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress