Quotes

An independent Kosovo not only harms the principle of international law that demands respect to the territorial integrity of the States. It grants wings, from the peak of the international community, to all the separatist irredentisms.

Kosovo's disastrous economy that may prove to be a greater security threat and a bigger challenge than its political status

As with being pregnant, there is there is no half way house to "independence". A second Albanian state in the Balkans is not needed - nor is it desirable, as it would set a very unfortunate precedent internationally.

"The more they talk about unity, the more suspicious I am," said a colleague as we left one of the news conferences at the end of this EU foreign ministers' meeting.

Our goal is not to apply directly the model of Hong Kong to Kosovo, but to show that a compromise solution based on international law is possible, sustainable and functional. We presented successful elements from the Hong Kong case, just like we did with South Tyrol of the Aland Islands.

Even though lack of foresight is universally viewed as a leading cause of its Iraq debacle, the United States (with British backing probable) is now preparing to recognise Kosovo's independence unilaterally - irrespective of the consequences for Europe and the world.

How can the EU, on the one hand, support an independent Kosovo because the majority there want it, and deny the same to the Taiwanese? Should we be taking part in the filthy market which has seen shifting allegiances, currently at some 170 for China and 24 for Taiwan, or should we espouse clear principles? Should we go Machiavellian or for credibility?

For Serbs, Kosovo is not just a territory It is an epic poem, a deep pool of collective heroic memory, a cradle of religious and national identity dating to the 14th century - even if it is now 90 percent Albanian, dominated by a language that 99 percent of Serbs can't understand, and hasn't been controlled by Belgrade for nearly a decade.

It is ignorance of the international law standards that make the local extremists speak about Kosovo's independence as if it were an accomplished fact. But those who favour the so-called "Kosovo scenario" are not well aware of the fact that the Kosovo issue may create a dangerous precedent for nearly 40 territorial disputes in many parts of the world.

Separatist regions like the Basque Country or Abkhazia might not resemble Kosovo right now - as Washington is quick to note - but by so explicitly stating the merits of Kosovar self-determination and independence, Washington is essentially creating an innovative code, only to make the cipher publicly available. Current and future separatists merely have to manufacture the same conditions and sequencing that have compelled the West to embrace an independent Kosovo: terrorize locals, invite government crackdowns, incite a rebellion, and lure in foreign intervention and commitment to rebuild.

Once militants get this far, Kosovo will no longer be unique - even by Washington's peculiar standards - and areas that share Kosovo's characteristics will be equally deserving of independence