Swedish MFA: Kosovo can join EU bypassing UN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Sunday that Kosovo may become a European Union member even thought it would not be a member of the United Nations.



Bildt based his statement in the Switzerland example, saying "it negotiated the EU membership before becoming a UN member state."



Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February, can not become a UN member state in the near future because of the strong opposition from Serbia and its ally Russia.



Completing a 2-day visit to Pristina, Bildt said he is sure there will not be recognition of Kosovo independence not only from Russia but from some other countries. "I don't expect China to recognize, either," he said.



He said that the EU foreign ministers will discuss on Monday in Brussels the Kosovo and regional situation in the Western Balkans, Xinhua news agency report.



On March 7, EU Envoy Martti Ahtisaari called on EU member states to recognize independence of Kosovo. Any other decision will destabilize Europe, according to him.



The Kosovo parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia on February 17.





Kosovo's independence has already been recognized by Sweden, Germany, France, Latvia, Estonia, France, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, UK, Italy, Poland, Australia, Afghanistan, U.S. and Turkey.



A number of states, including Russia, are of the opinion that the self-proclaimed republic can be handed a legal status by he UN Security Council only.