Independence of Kosovo can't be taken hostage to Cyprus problem

PanARMENIAN.Net - New Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the independence of Kosovo will come within days, while refusing to give an exact date. The former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army expressed hope that Turkey would be one of the first countries to recognize his country's independence and stressed that he was "very pleased" with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stance on Kosovo. "I am very proud of the Turkish minority in Kosovo and they are part of our government. We are very closely cooperating with them and believe that this will continue."



Thaci ducked all the questions regarding a possible date for the declaration of independence noting, however, that nothing will stop the process. The Kosovo leader said he expected the U.S., strong members of the EU and the Islamic world to recognize Kosovo quite soon.



"We understand the concerns of Cyprus regarding the independence of Kosovo. We can wait a bit longer for them to recognize our independence but we will make our decision soon. Our independence cannot be taken hostage by the problems of Cyprus or any other country," Thaci said in an interview with Today's Zaman.