PRISTINA, Kosovo – Kosovo’s prime minister said parliament will meet on Sunday at 3 PM CET, for a special session to declare the province’s independence, a bold and historic bid for statehood in defiance of Serbia and Russia.
By sidestepping the U.N. and appealing directly to the U.S. and other nations for recognition, Kosova’s independence sets up a showdown with Serbia — outraged at the imminent loss of its territory — and Russia, which warns of a dangerous precedent for separatist groups worldwide.
The ethnic Albanian leadership scheduled the extraordinary parliamentary session for Sunday afternoon to proclaim the Republic of Kosova and unveil the new country’s flag and national crest.
“We are on the brink of a very crucial moment — an important decision that will make us one of the free nations of the world,” said Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, a former leader of the Kosova Liberation Army whose ethnic Albanian guerrillas clashed with Serb troops in a 1998-99 conflict that claimed 10,000 lives.
He signed letters to 192 countries — including Serbia — asking them to recognize Kosova’s statehood.
US President George W.Bush speaking from a tour of Africa, said the United States “will continue to work with our allies to the very best we can to make sure there’s no violence” in the aftermath of Kosova’s proclamation.
Bush said it was in “Serbia’s interest to be aligned with Europe and the Serbian people can know that they have a friend in America.” He also praised Kosova’s government for showing “its willingness and its desire to support Serbian rights in Kosova.”
As we write this article, the parliamentary session is already underway and the delegates are all present in the parliament. There are well over 500.000 people in capital Prishtina who are celebrating this historic day waving their flags in support of their new country and also the flags of United States, Great Britain, NATO Alliance, European Union etc.
More to follow, live from the scene.
Tags: flag, independence, kosova
We Americans love Kosovo!