Afghanistan, U.S. show the way for recognition of Kosovo’s secession
“Rule-of-law champion” Afghanistan and the champion of Kosovo’s secession, the United States, led the pack of countries which have started recognizing the unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, February 19, 2008
In Brussels, the EU Council of Ministers on Monday took "note" the Kosovo parliament's Sunday resolution on independence and stressed that each member-state had to decide on its relations with Kosovo in keeping with "its national practice and international law".
The document, which was a compromise text drafted after hours of intense negotiations, paved the way for the recognition of Kosovo's secession by EU states.
"The Council reiterates the EU's adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, inter alia the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and all UN Security Council resolutions. It underlines its conviction that in view of the conflict of the 1990s and the extended period of international administration under SCR 1244, Kosovo constitutes a sui generis case which does not call into question these principles and resolutions," the text said.
The adopted formulation in practice means that EU vows to respect territorial integrity of all states except Serbia in the case of Kosovo.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said that "as Kosovo today begins its life as an independent state, the United States pledges to continue to be its close friend and partner".
"The United States is today formally recognizing Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state. We are also going to be establishing diplomatic relations. President Bush is sending a letter to the President of Kosovo, President Sejdiu, that we're responding affirmatively to the proposal made by Kosovo that we do establish diplomatic relations", high-ranking State Department official Nicholas Burns said.
Hours later, U.S. President George W. Bush congratulated Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, creating the basis for Washington's claim that a series of developments around Kosovo in past 48 hours created "irreversible new reality."
Serbia reacted swiftly, ordering its ambassador in Washington Ivan Vujacic to immediately return to Belgrade for consultations.
France, Britain, Turkey and Australia followed suit, while Germany, Italy and several other European countries saying they would recognize the secession in the next days or weeks.
