Albania: We will be among the first to recognize Kosovo
Albanian President Bamir Topi announced that Albania would be among the first countries to recognize Kosovo, but dismissed the possibility of a union of Kosovo and Albania.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, January 28, 2008
"The declaration of independence of Kosovo, as the newest sovereign and democratic state in Europe, which will respect minorities' rights, is the duty of new Kosovo institutions," Topi said.
Topi was in Pristina at the same time as US deputy assistant Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo.
DiCarlo said there was no misunderstanding over Kosovo between the US and the EU.
"We are very close to the EU, and with our European partners we continue to debate the best road forward for Kosovo," DiCarlo said.
She said that the future of Kosovo and the Balkan region was in European structures, adding that the best solution for Kosovo was the Ahtisaari plan for supervised independence.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaqi said that the Kosovo institutions were ready to implement the Ahtisaari plan.
"The Ahtisaari plan has been accepted as a solution for status, both by the Kosovo institutions and citizens. Kosovo is ready to implement this plan," Thaqi said.
The US are pushing for the acceleration of Kosovo's independence, despite opposition from Russia and several EU members - Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Spain, and Slovakia. A number of EU countries are also against the deployment of an EU mission to Kosovo without clear legal grounds, i.e. the UN's approval.
