The United States officially recognized Kosovo. The Kosovars were expecting that of course. The Balkan state which split from Serbia on Sunday is now an independent nation on Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a written statement. That view isn"t acceptable to Russia of course and they"re trying to get the United Nations to condemn the act. Condemn democracy?
The initiative and act surprised Russia and the spee with which other nations have accepted the Kosovars is coming quickly. We are living in digitally fast moving times.
European Union nations Monday were also starting to recognize Kosovo as the world"s newest nation, agencies have reported. Britain, Germany and France were among EU member states which said they would establish official diplomatic ties with the Balkan state following a meeting of European ministers in Brussels Monday, according to The Associated Press. "We intend to recognize Kosovo," France foreign minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters afterwards.
EU foreign ministers decided that the bloc"s 27 member nations should decide individually whether to recognise Kosovo. Whoa says Russia, but to no avail. "Our position is that this declaration should be disregarded by the international community," as well as by the head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Moscow"s U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin said on Sunday. And in Beijing came a less strident statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao expressed grave concern over Kosovo"s move for independence.
Will it be possible to ever find universal accord in anything? Must the earth be threatened with extinction before we"ll come together?
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said his country will never accept the establishment of a "false country" on its territory. Fireworks lit the skies and crowds filled the streets of Kosovo"s capital Sunday after the territory"s parliament declared independence from Serbia. But Serbs consider the territory the cradle of their civilization, and protesters clashed with police outside the U.S. Embassy in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, as the declaration was issued.
Violence flared across Serbia after the declaration with angry protestors stoning the Belgrade embassies of the United States and Slovenia, current EU president. Mobs smashed the windows of two McDonald"s restaurants and the US embassy before police used tear gas, rubber bullets and batons to disperse them. More than 5,000 protesters gathered in Belgrade on Monday for a new demonstration.
Democracy does not come without pain and if anyone know that it"s the Kosovars.