Kosovo recognition parade kicked off

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. and the European Union's biggest powers quickly recognized Kosovo as an independent nation Monday, widening a split with Russia, China and some EU members strongly opposed to letting the territory break away from Serbia.



The rift was on view for a second day at the U.N. Security Council, which was holding an emergency session to discuss the declaration of independence issued Sunday by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority.



"Each EU member state will itself decide whether to recognize independence of Kosovo or not," said a joint statement issued by EU Foreign Ministers.



France was the first EU country to support Kosovo's independence. "This will put an end to problems in the Balkans. Today we need reconciliation, although this process will take a long period of time," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said quoting President Nicolas Sarkozy.



Similar statements came from Foreign Ministers of UK, Germany and Italy.



"Berlin will officially recognize independence of Kosovo on Wednesday," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.



According to an EU official, 17 out of 27 EU member states are going to recognize Kosovo's independence. It's remarkable that Afghanistan, the US. ally, was ahead of Europe to recognize independence of the breakaway province.



Spain, which faces fierce ethnic strife in its Basque region, quickly backed away from formal recognition. Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus, all beset with minority divisions, also indicated they will not recognize Kosovo.



Other countries adding to Kosovo's tally included Albania, Turkey, Finland and Lithuania.



Bulgaria announced that recognition will follow during several weeks, Strana.ru reports.