United States President George Bush on Tuesday recognised the independence of Kosovo from Serbia and said it would bring peace to the Balkans.
Bush said during an African tour in Dar es Salaam that the United States would soon establish full diplomatic relations with the majority Albanian country.
”On behalf of the American people, I hereby recognise Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state,” Bush said in a letter to President Fatmir Sejdiu.
”I congratulate you and Kosovo’s citizens for having taken this important step in your democratic and national development,” Bush added, saying Washington was a partner and friend to the new state.
He told reporters in Tanzania: ”History will prove this will be a correct move to bring peace to the Balkans. The United States supports this move because we believe it will bring peace”.
He spoke before leaving Tanzania for Rwanda, on the third leg of his tour. Bush was hailed here as a friend of Africa and hundreds of people, including schoolchildren in uniform, lined his route to the airport to bid him farewell.
Serbia has recalled its ambassador from Washington to protest against American recognition of Kosovo, first announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday, and Russia strongly opposes independence.
The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, called Kosovo’s declaration ”a blatant breach of the norms and principles of international law”.
But Bush said the United States had been in close touch with Moscow and recognition ”shouldn’t come as a surprise”.
He said Washington would work with Kosovo’s leaders to ”carry out a smooth and peaceful transition”.
‘Sincere friendship’
In his letter, Bush wrote: ”On this historic occasion, I note the deep and sincere bonds of friendship that unite our people. This friendship, cemented during Kosovo’s darkest hours of tragedy, has grown stronger in the nine years since war in Kosovo ended”.
Washington’s action, which was expected, followed recognition of Kosovo by Europe’s largest states — France, Britain, Italy and Germany, as well as some Muslim states like Afghanistan. More countries are expected to follow suit, but Spain said it would not recognise.
Washington, along with most European Union countries, says Serbia relinquished the moral right to rule the people of Kosovo because of brutality under late President Slobodan Milosevic.
Kosovo has been under United Nations supervision since 1999, when Nato bombing forced a withdrawal of Serb forces that had been attacking Albanians in the province. There are about 17 000 Nato-led troops in Kosovo.
Rice urge Belgrade to work with the United States to ensure the protection of the Serbian community in Kosovo — a region with about two million Albanians, a 90% majority.
Bush also urged the protection of the Serbian minority in Kosovo, saying he welcomed the new government desire ”to reach the highest standards of democracy and freedom”.
He added: ”In particular, I support your embrace of multi-ethnicity as a principle of good governance and your commitment to developing accountable institutions in which all citizens are equal under the law.”
Washington has said it will support Kosovo economically as well as politically. A donors conference would be held soon in Europe and the United States would give $335-million in aid to Kosovo this year. – Reuters