United States in favor of Kosovo's independence

PanARMENIAN.Net - "The United States together with other countries plans to cosponsor a new resolution in the United Nations, which will allow the Provisional Government of Kosovo to declare independence," U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns stated. "We are now engaged in a period of intense diplomacy to bring about Kosovo's independence as soon as possible, on the basis of the United Nations recommendations," Burns told speaking before the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives April 17. Nicholas Burns occupies the post of Undersecretary for Political Affairs - the third in State Department hierarchy.



Some lawmakers argued that granting independence to Kosovo would be a precedent for other regions aiming at separation. Serbia and Kosovar Serbs are categorically against Kosovo's independence. Russia too, which enjoys a veto power in the UN, expressed his concerns.



"I think an outside imposed solution, if the conflicting parties have not reached an agreement, will at the same time lead to a real war problem," warned him House Representative democrat from California Howard Berman.



Burns stressed the United States and his European allies consider history of Kosovo's oppression under the rule of late Slobodan Milosevic a unique situation, which will not create a precedent for other separatist movements. By Russia's offer 15 Ambassadors of the Security Council plan the next week to visit Belgrade and Pristina, as well as Brussels. "We thought it would be useful for those countries to meet with Serbian leadership in Belgrade and Albanian and Serbian leadership in Pristina," Burns informed. Ambassadors of the Security Council will also meet with NATO Sec. Gen. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and EU High Representative Spanish Javier Solana in Brussels.



"After the visit to the region the United States plans within the coming weeks together with his European allies to introduce a new resolution in the Security Council, which will replace the existing 1244 that currently states the status of Kosovo. We think after the adoption of this draft resolution Kosovar leaders will declare independence. Right after it the United States and other countries will acknowledge that independence," Burns underlined, U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs.