By Phillip Kurata
Staff Writer
Washington — The U.S. government has welcomed a ruling by the International Court of Justice that upholds the legality of Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.
“The International Court of Justice today issued its advisory opinion and decisively agreed with the longstanding view of the United States that Kosovo’s declaration of independence is in accordance with international law,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement. “We call on all states to move beyond the issue of Kosovo’s status and engage constructively in support of peace and stability in the Balkans, and we call on those states that have not yet done so to recognize Kosovo.”
Vice President Joe Biden telephoned Serbian President Boris Tadic and discussed the ruling. He said the U.S. commitment to Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is “unwavering.” He urged the Serbian government to work with the Kosovo government for the good of the people of the two countries and the region. The vice president told the Serbian leader that the United States and Serbia have strong, deep ties that enable them to work together on many issues. The vice president praised Serbia for its efforts to improve relations with Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and for its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
After Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, Serbia challenged the legality of the declaration at the international court, based in The Hague, Netherlands. Kosovo fought a bloody secessionist struggle against Serbia in 1998 and 1999 and was under international administration for nearly a decade. So far, 69 U.N. countries have recognized Kosovo.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the court’s ruling will not affect the role of the 10,000-strong NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo, known as KFOR.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi met with Biden in Washington July 21. The prime minister told Biden that the Kosovo government welcomes a constructive dialogue with Serbia to solve issues, such as missing persons, law enforcement and power management. |
