“Europe must maintain unity on Kosovo”, EU presidency warns Bush
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country currently holds the six-month presidency of the European Union, warned US President George W. Bush that the EU must maintain its unity on Kosovo, dealing a blow to proponents of unilateral declaration of independence of the province, which is widely seen as a possible trigger for EU division.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, September 18, 2007
"I guaranteed to the president that the first priority I have in my mind regarding Kosovo is to keep Europe united," Socrates said.
The U.S. has hinted at possible recognition of a unilateral declaration of independence, which some EU countries might follow, but which the majority of European states oppose.
Several European countries have made it clear they oppose any kind of solution for Kosovo made outside of the U.N. Security Council. Among them are Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece, and Cyprus, as well as the members that were initially not against Martti Ahtisaari's plan. The group, headed by Germany, includes the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Malta, and Sweden.
No EU member has so far publicly indicated it would recognize a potential unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence.
