U.S. Backs Kosovo’s Sovernity

 Kosovoian Flag

    In a joint statement by Condoleleeza Rice and President Bush,  the U.S. recognizes Kosovo’s  status as an independent nation, on Monday. This will inevitably have some sort of diplomatic downfall as Russian President Vladimir Putin was against acknowledging Kosovo’s independence.   Serbia pulled it’s Ambassador from Washington in protest of backing Kosovo’s Independence.  Serbia really showed the United States.

 PRISTINA, Kosovo – The United States formally recognized Kosovo’s independence Monday, and Europe’s major powers said they would do the same, setting up a confrontation with Serbia and its key ally, Russia.

Kosovo’s leaders had sent letters to 192 countries Monday seeking formal recognition of independence, and suspense gripped the capital as its citizens awaited backing from the key powers.

But the United States formally recognized Kosovo’s independence in a statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and President Bush said, “The Kosovars are now independent.”

Serbia responded by recalling its ambassador to Washington.

The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy said those nations also would recognize Kosovo.

“A majority of (European Union) member states will recognise a democratic, multi-ethnic Kosovo founded on the rule of law,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after talks among EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Tension as Serbs protest
A day after Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership made its historic declaration of independence from Serbia, tensions flared in northern Kosovo, home to most of the territory’s 100,000 minority Serbs. An explosion damaged a U.N. vehicle outside the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica, where thousands of Serbs demonstrated, chanting “this is Serbia!”

The crowds marched to a bridge spanning a river dividing the town between the ethnic Albanian and Serbian sides. They were confronted by NATO peacekeepers guarding the bridge, but there was no violence.

Another 800 Serbs staged a noisy demonstration in the Serb-dominated enclave of Gracanica outside Pristina, waving Serbian flags and singing patriotic songs.

Source: MSNBC

Photo Source: Flickr

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February 18, 2008 | Filed Under 2008 Presidential Election, President Bush, World Politics 

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