EP calls on five EU states to recognize Kosovo

In a resolution adopted by 424 votes in favor and 133 against, the EP has "encouraged those EU Member States which have not already done so to recognise the independence of Kosovo".

The five countries which have not recognized Kosovo are Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Romania and Cyprus.

The author of the resolution, Dutch Green MEP Joost Lagendijk, expressed satisfaction with the vote.

"This is a moral and political call on all EU member countries to recognize Kosovo", Lagendijk said.

He added, however, that did not expect an immediate impact of the call.

In the resolution, the EP "welcomes the successful deployment of EULEX throughout Kosovo, including the part north of the river Ibar".

It recalls its resolution of 29 March 2007,which rejects the possibility of the partitioning of Kosovo.

The resolution "calls on the international community to be fully supportive of EULEX and to facilitate the assumption by EULEX throughout Kosovo of all UNMIK's relevant tasks in the area of customs, the police and the judiciary".

It "welcomes the Serbian Government's agreement to the deployment of EULEX, the most important of the ESDP missions to date, and its readiness to cooperate with it; encourages Serbia to continue to display this constructive attitude, which is consistent with the country's aspirations to join the EU".

The EP also "considers that the transitional arrangements negotiated between the UN and the Serbian Government will need to be reviewed in the light of developments on the ground, once EULEX has reached full operational capability".

The debate on the draft passed in an atmosphere of usual conflict between the supporters and opponents of Kosovo's independence.

German MEP Doris Pack called on the European Parliament to invite Pristina authorities to implement the Ahtisaari plan, while Hungarian Socialist Csaba Tabajdi said that the deployment of EULEX in the north was very important for avoiding the division of Kosovo.

Lagendijk said that the European Union had to help Kosovo to become a sustainable state.

On the other hand, Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki said that Pristina's path to the European Union would be much longer unless Serb rights were observed. Tobias Pflueger, a German Leftist, rejected Lagendijk's draft because it was based on Kosovo's independence, which he said violated international law.

All solutions must be in accordance with international law, Pflueger said.

"We are not satsified with EULEX, because its operation is based on the recognition of Kosovo, which violates international law. We oppose the EULEX mission", he said.

Polish MEP Sylwester Chruszcz said that Kosovo's independence had brought disastrous consequences in the Caucasus.

He said that the EP should not adopt any decisions before the International Court of Justice decided on the province's status, because Kosovo was Serbia until that date.

French MEP Patrick Louis said that the 10th anniversary of the illegal NATO bombing of Serbia was approaching and that Serbia's integrity had to be observed.

Czech Socialist Libor Roucek said that Serbia had had a very constructive role in the issue of EULEX.

Romanian MEP Adrian Severin said that Kosovo could not be independent before this was accepted by Serbia and UN Security Council and before Kosovo became self-sustainable.

"The Ahtisaari plan has failed", Severin said and called for an international conference on finding a sustainable solution.

He and his compatriot Jean Marinescu, opposed the draft resolution saying that it did not observe the stands of all EU member-states.

British Conservative Charles Tannock once again oposed the independence of Kosovo.