US welcome Maldives recognition of Kosovo
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday thanked the Maldivian government for its decision to recognize Kosovo independence, days after the Maldivian president ordered an investigation into an alleged bribery of government officials by the Kosovo Albanian tycoon Bedzhet Pacoli.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, March 11, 2009
In a message sent to Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed, US State Secretary Clinton stated that government's decision greatly contributes to efforts to promote a stable and prosperous future for Kosovo and the Western Balkans. Expressing hope that other countries will follow the Maldives example in recognizing Kosovo in the near future, US State Secretary also commended the foreign minister Shaheed's leadership and welcomed his efforts to encourage other countries to support Kosovo.
In response, foreign minister Shaheed thanked US State Secretary Hilary for her message on Kosovo independence
"Both the UK government and the US government, who maintained a close dialogue with me on developments in Kosovo, would have been in no doubt that the Maldives would recognize Kosovo" because it was "the right thing to do" Foreign minister Shaheed wrote in his response. He also added that Maldives will continue to lobby with other countries to recognize Kosovo.
