Jun 11, 2007

Kosova: US President Takes Strong Stance


US President Bush has insisted that independence remains the only acceptable option for Kosova, urging a swift conclusion to ongoing discussions.

US President Bush has insisted that independence remains the only acceptable option for Kosova, urging a conclusion to ongoing discussions.

Below is an article written by Andrew Ward, Neil MacDonald, and Neil,Buckleyin, and published by the Financial Times:

Washington will not compromise with Moscow over the future of Kosovo, President George W. Bush said on Sunday [10 June 2007] - insisting that independence was the only acceptable option for the breakaway Serbian province.

The comments put Mr Bush on a fresh collision course with President Vladimir Putin, who has threatened to veto any United Nations resolution setting Kosovo free from Serbia, a close Russian ally.

During a visit to neighbouring Albania, Mr Bush said: "At some point, sooner rather than later, you've got to say, 'Enough is enough - Kosovo is independent'."

The remark appeared to raise the possibility of the US making a unilateral recognition of Kosovan independence if Russia blocked the UN process. But White House officials said the president did not intend to make such a threat, and was referring only to the need for urgent action within the UN.

Yesterday [10 June 2007] a senior Russian official said Moscow would not alter its position on Kosovo, which had been "clear and consistent".

"Kosovo is an inviolable part of Serbia and the question of its future status can be resolved only with the agreement of both Belgrade and Pristina," he said, adding that "excessive haste" in deciding the matter could lead to a serious escalation of tension in central Europe.

Washington has grown increasingly impatient with slow-moving UN efforts to set Kosovo on a path towards independence, eight years after the Nato campaign to end Serbian "ethnic cleansing" of the Albanian majority in the province.

"The question is whether or not there is going to be endless dialogue on a subject that we have made up our mind about," said Mr Bush. "We believe Kosovo ought to be independent."

Deadlock over Kosovo has combined with disagreement over the proposed US missile defence programme to create the most serious tensions between Moscow and Washington since the cold war.

Mr Bush has sought to ease Mr Putin's concern over the anti-missile system by agreeing to "strategic dialogue" on possible Russian participation. But yesterday's comments indicated a tougher US line on Kosovo. The two men will meet in Maine next month.

Mr Bush said he and most G8 colleagues wanted a process that guaranteed "certain independence" and that "continued drift" would risk sparking fresh unrest in Kosovo.

"The time is now," he said, repeating an earlier call for a UN deadline.

Muhamet Hamiti, a senior adviser to Fatmir Sejdiu, Kosovo's president, welcomed Mr Bush's "un-ambiguous support". He expressed confidence that an international deal would be reached, but refused to rule out a unilateral declaration of independence if diplomacy at the UN failed.