Pristina : A unilateral declaration of independence only days after December 10
Kosovo will unilaterally declare independence within days of the December 10 deadline for the troika report if the international negotiators fail to reach a deal on the status of the Serbian province, the Prime minister of Kosovo Agim Ceku said.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The announcement sparked a harsh reaction from Belgrade, which said these kind of statements were representing an "open threat and destruction of the negotiations process under way".
During a visit to Britain's Foreign Office, Ceku said that Pristina would make its own mind about independence regardless of whether the European Union backed the move.
Ceku said that while he was seeking international support, the province would make up its own mind about independence regardless of whether the European Union backed the move.
"We would like to have support of all members of the European Union (...) But we have made this very clear: we would like to have this support but we are not ready to wait until they all agree to an independent Kosovo," Ceku said.
"It has to happen. It has to happen very soon after December 10," Ceku said. "We are talking about a couple of days, not weeks, not months."
The delegation's host, British Foreign Secretary David Milliband, said however that both sides in the process should "abstain from provocative words and activities".
"Both sides have to approach the upcoming talks in the spirit of creativity, courage and compromise", Milliband said.
In Belgrade, the office of Serbian Prime minister Vojislav Kostunica condemned Ceku's statements.
"On several occasions already, Belgrade has called on the international community and particularly on the negotiating troika to send a clear warning which condemns and rejects any unilateral act on the independence of the province", a statement from the cabinet said.
