Parties unite to support Kosovo move

KOSOVO: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern is to recommend that Ireland formally recognise Kosovo's independence.

"We are faced with a decision to recognise Kosovo. My intention is to do so," he said yesterday. "Serbia effectively lost Kosovo through its own actions in the 1990s. The bitter legacy of the killings of thousands of civilians in Kosovo and the ethnic cleansing of many more has effectively ruled out any restoration of Serbian dominion in Kosovo."

The United States and most European Union members are expected to recognise the new state. Serbia and Russia are fiercely opposed. There are concerns Kosovo's secession from Serbia may spark tension in the region, and international peace-keeping troops are on stand-by to fly there in the event of violence breaking out.

However, Mr Ahern said the status quo could not continue in Kosovo. "It leaves Kosovo inherently unstable," he said. "We need to move on and deliver on a permanent settlement. I don't think we can continue leaving matters as they are."

He added: "Remember, more than 90 per cent of the population wants independence. Any independence must ensure protecting the rights of the Serbian minority."

Fine Gael welcomed the declaration of independence and urged the Government to recognise the new state. "I believe that the declaration complies with international law and that there's an overwhelming desire for self-determination by 90 per cent of the population of Kosovo," said Billy Timmins, its foreign affairs spokesman.

Labour's Joe Costello described yesterday as an "historic day" for Kosovo, but sought clarification on the status of Irish troops stationed there.

"The immediate issue that arises for Ireland is to determine [ the] precise status of the 270 Irish troops that are serving under a UN mandate in Kosovo."

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times