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US and European Union countries likely to recognize Kosovoâ€™s independence -UPDATED 2

US and European Union countries likely to recognize Kosovoâ€™s independence <font color=red> -UPDATED 2</font>

18 February 2008 12:42 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports quoting international new agencies that the 109 MPs voted unanimously in favor of the declaration of independence, 10 parliamentarians representing Serbiaâ€™s minority missed the meeting.â€œWe proclaim Kosovo an independent and sovereign state," Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said that Serbia will never recognize independence of false state Kosovo.
â€œThere will never be a false state in the territory of Serbia. We will take care of all our citizens in Kosovo and Metokhiya. We believe in the power of law and true law and justice,â€ he said.
Vojislav Kostunica promised to get Kosovo and Metokhiya autonomous provinces back. Serbian President Boris Tadic said Serbia would declare invalid any unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo. He said they would reduce the level of bilateral diplomatic relations with the countries that would recognize Kosovo. Russia supporting Belgrade stated that sovereignty of Serbian Republic, UN Charter, UN Security Council resolution 1244 and principles of OSCE Helsinki Final Act had been violated.
Decision of independence is called to be abolished by UNO mission and NATO forces in the statement of Foreign Ministry. Moscow calls an extraordinary meeting of UNO Security Council on February 18.After talks behind closed doors, Russian permanent representative Vitaly Churkin stated that, UNO forces in Kosovo will control the situation according to Resolution 1244 â€œWe prevented the withdrawal of UN from Kosovo. Local government will respect the existence of UN in Kosovo,â€ said in statement. UN Secretary General Ban Ki -Moon stressed that the Resolution 1244 should be implemented and noted that Serbians and Albanians should not be aggressive.6 members of Security Council and Germany announced that declaration of independence of Kosovo and its territory under EU protectorate meet international legal norms , including Resolution 1244 of Security Council. This position is reflected in the joint statement of US, Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Croatia. The document signed by these countriesâ€™ representatives in UN covers that, the status of Kosovo has been determined at the result of unique development of processes and it will not be precedent in world experiment. Official representative of the USA State Department Shon McCormack stated that they began to carry out talks on this issue with European supporters. He noted that, Ahtisaari plan is only way out of situation.EU will send 2000 â€“member special mission to Kosovo. French General Yves de Kermabon and Dutch diplomat Peter Feith will be head of civil-police mission. Great Britain also stated that it will send 1000 soldiers to composition of NATO peacekeepers in the region. The two important meetings on Kosovo will be held in Brussels. EU Foreign Ministers and NATO Council will discuss international situation occurred after declaration of independence of Kosovo.
â€œKosovo can not be precedent in the solution to â€œfrozen conflictsâ€ in USSR region,â€ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vladimir Ogryzko told journalist in Brussels .he mentioned that there are â€œfrozen conflicts â€œin Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan.
â€œIt is ruled out that, several forces can use the situation in Kosovo in favor of them. Ukraineâ€™s position is that, this fact can not be precedent. Ukraineâ€™s position on Kosovo has not yet formed and Ukraine will state its position,â€ he said. He noted that he does not know whether Ukraineâ€˜s position will meet EUâ€™s position.
â€œWe have not yet known EUâ€™s position. We need time for it. We will have own position on all events,â€ he said.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt noted that EU countries will recognize th e independence of Kosovo.
â€œ"I hope that we are going to have a platform which is united with virtually everyone (in the EU)," said ahead of an evening meeting in Brussels with his Danish, Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian counterparts.
Ministers are "concerned to underline our commitment to the territorial integrity" of Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Cyprus, Bildt said.
"The Kosovo case is unique in some ways and has no impact whatsoever on these other frozen conflicts beyond a willingness to see if we can accelerate efforts to overcome these conflicts," he said. The extraordinary meeting was held in Turkish Foreign Ministry on the Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The meeting led by Mehmet Ali Babajan, Turkish Foreign Minister says that Turkey respects the Kosovoâ€™s declaration of independence. Anadolu agency reports that, Turkish Foreign Ministry is continuing procedures on the recognition of Kosovoâ€™s in dependence.
The Slovak Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it will not recognize Kosovo as an independent state for now. It will consider its next steps according to further developments and measures international organizations would take, the ministry said. Czech President Vaclav Klaus warned Sunday that Kosovo’s independence could trigger a domino effect in other European countries and it will cause separatist forcesâ€™ demanding independence in the conflict zones. It should be avoided.
PACE President Luis Maria de Puig said that, conflict par ties in Kosovo should protect peace and dialogue. Puig supporters should avoid from violation and respect rights of minorities, human rights and rule of law.
â€œDespite of status of Kosovo, this territory should be a safe region for all nations irrespective of religious and ethnic belonging. I regret that, conflict parties have not achieved compromise,â€ he said.
â€œKosovo is a unique issue,â€ Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus told APA.
He stated that Kosovo can not be precedent in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh and other conflicts.
â€œEU estimates the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh and supports OSCE MGâ€™s efforts for this issue,â€ he said.