Shtypi i huaj mbi shpalljen e pavarësisë së Kosovës

[RaPSouL]

Gazeta e lartpermendur shkruan:

Q&A: The State of Kosovo

by Emily Harris

After years of dispute over Kosovo, the breakaway Serbian province is expected to declare its independence this weekend.

The plan includes keeping NATO's peacekeeping force in place — and having the European Union take over from the United Nations in overseeing the judicial system and ensuring rule of law.

Serbia has rejected the idea of an independent Kosovo, but has said it would not use force against the province.

Here's some background on the situation:

Where is Kosovo?

Kosovo is in southern Europe. It is a landlocked area a bit smaller than Connecticut — north of Macedonia, east of Albania, south of Serbia, and west of Bulgaria. It's at nearly the same latitude as the "ankle" of Italy.

What is Kosovo's legal status?

Kosovo is technically still a part of Serbia, which was the dominant republic in the former Yugoslavia. But since 1999, Kosovo has been run by a U.N. mission and protected by NATO troops. When Yugoslavia existed as a country, Kosovo was — for part of that time — an autonomous area within Serbia.

What led to the current situation?

In 1999, NATO bombed Serbia in order to stop what the organization called a "campaign of terror" against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, carried out by the then Yugoslav military and irregular Serb paramilitary groups. At the end of the bombing, the Security Council approved Resolution 1244, which gave a U.N. mission the responsibility to administer Kosovo, while developing elements of a local provisional government, until a final political solution could be arranged for Kosovo.

The antagonism between Serbs and Albanians has roots that date back to the Middle Ages. These tensions have flared into violence in varying degrees since then, including in the years just prior to the 1999 bombing.

What has Russia's stance been?

Russia's major public objection is that the United Nations doesn't have the right to carve up sovereign states and warns this will set a bad precedent. Moscow refers frequently to U.N .Security Council resolution 1244, which mentions the U.N. "commitment" to the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Yugoslavia. In addition, Moscow backs Serbia in saying that Serbs in Kosovo have not, and cannot be, adequately protected, and says further talks should be held between Serbia and Kosovo.

The United States and the Kosovo government have rejected the idea of more talks, and the U.N. envoy has said the possibilities for discussion are exhausted. The United States also argues that Kosovo is a unique case and should not be seen as setting a precedent for other independent-minded or "breakaway" regions around the world. The situation in Kosovo is being watched closely by people elsewhere around the world who have been seeking their own states, including the Kurds in northern Iraq and the Basques in Spain. A number of such conflicts directly involve Russia, including in Chechnya, Transdniestr, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Why is this important to the United States?

The United States got involved militarily against the Serbs in Kosovo in 1999 after sitting out similarly horrible wars in Bosnia and Croatia. The U.S.-led NATO bombardment set the stage for U.N. governance of Kosovo — and for the current question of its future status. In the U.S. view, the only possible path to stability in the Balkans region is for Kosovo to become independent.

What are the chances of more violence in this area?

Officials from both sides have assured the international community that they would not resort to violence. After the December 10 deadline for an agreement passed without any resolution, Kosovo's prime minister-designate, Hasim Thaci, began talks with his ethnic Albanian political rivals. Thaci leads one of the biggest ethnic Albanian parties.

At the same time, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said his country would not accept European Union supervision in Kosovo, and would abandon efforts to join the European Union, if the group recognizes Kosovo as an independent state. The Serbs have insisted that the Kosovo question must be resolved in the United Nations Security Council. That's because Russia, a traditional ally of the Serbs, has a veto on the council. Russia has already said it will ask the U.N. Security Council to nullify any unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians.

Serbia has said it would not use force against the breakaway province, though it's possible that fringe elements on both sides could take advantage of the uncertainly to re-ignite violence.


Nje analize e gjere reth Kosoves marrura nga gazeta NPR.

PS: Ketu e keni edhe nje foto nga harta e ballkanit!

[Davius]

Analysis: Kosovo strains US-Russian ties

By WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 45 minutes ago

PRISTINA, Kosovo - American flags flutter almost everywhere in Kosovo, a symbol of how — through successive Democratic and Republican administrations — the U.S. has long been a friend of this nation in the making.
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But Washington's stalwart support of statehood in recent months in the face of fierce resistance from Russia has raised the stakes in its increasingly testy relations with a Kremlin increasingly eager to shore up its influence among its former Soviet vassal states.

By backing Kosovo's independence outside the U.N. Security Council, the U.S. and its European allies have taken a calculated risk. They are betting that the turbulent Balkans will not plunge into violence.

If it does, the White House will take much of the blame. Reflecting the concern, President Bush said Sunday that the U.S. will work to prevent violence.

"Moscow is convinced that it holds the moral high ground and will live to see yet another Western 'blunder' on par with Iraq," said Oksana Antonenko, a Russia expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

"If violence returns to Kosovo, Russia and the West will blame each other, worsening general relations," Atonenko warned. The world is watching to see whether "Kosovo will be an exception — that independence will bring stability and rule of law, not chaos and insecurity," she said.

Russia is a traditional ally of Serbia. But that is not the only reason it vehemently opposes Kosovo's independence. The Kremlin contends it will set a dangerous precedent for secessionist movements across the former Soviet Union, including Chechnya and Georgia.

The confrontation over Kosovo could harden Russia's resolve on the other disputes that have brought ties to a post-Cold War low. While analysts say Russia is unlikely to restrict energy supplies to the West in response to recognition of the province, ignoring Russia's concerns could make Moscow less cooperative on crucial issues such as Iran's nuclear program.

Russia could also launch aggressive moves on ex-Soviet territory, such as recognizing the independence claims of breakaway regions in Georgia or even encouraging violent resistance to NATO membership in Ukraine.

The U.S. is not deliberately trying to provoke Russia, but Washington sees no way around supporting Kosovo independence, said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow for Europe studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"There's no question that Kosovo will serve as an irritant between Russia and the U.S., but there won't be a sudden outburst of shock," he said. "Both sides are trying to prevent an open rift."

Washington also appears eager to support the independence of predominantly Muslim — but largely secular — Kosovo to help bridge the gulf with the Islamic world and to show how democracy can work in a Muslim country.

Russia and the U.S. already are at odds over Washington's plans to station a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The U.S. says the interceptor rockets are designed to counter a threat from the Middle East, but the Kremlin contends the real purpose is to weaken Russia.

The U.S., meanwhile, is rankled at recent rhetoric from President Vladimir Putin suggesting that Russia could aim nuclear missiles at Ukraine if the former Soviet republic joins NATO.

"It's a relationship that's been going downhill pretty much since 2002," said Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and a senior specialist on Russia for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

And both sides share the blame, he said.

"Both sides are having a hard time seeing how they can engage in a constructive manner," he said. "I don't see anyone in Washington who wants to have a more difficult relationship with the Russians."

Progress in that relationship probably will have to wait until next month's presidential elections in Russia and the U.S. election in November, Pifer said.

Kupchan believes the U.S. would have preferred to shepherd independence through the U.N. Security Council, but Moscow made that impossible by threatening to use its veto.

He and others say the next best thing will be a robust round of official recognitions from as many nations as possible, which will help vindicate the U.S. and key allies in the eyes of a wary world. A flurry of recognitions was expected from Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium.

Independence does not mean the U.S. and Europe can disengage from Kosovo, where 16,000 NATO-led troops — including about 1,000 Americans — still keep the peace.

"The U.S. wanted to wash its hands of its strategic commitments in the region, but the commitments will actually grow ... they'll need to take on greater responsibility to make sure violence doesn't break out," Kupchan said.

"The immediate implication for the U.S. is that it ain't over yet in the Balkans."

YAHOO.com

[Fittox]

VOICE OF AMERICA

Celebrations are being held in Kosovo after the parliament declared independence from Serbia. But Serbia and Russia reacted immediately to what they consider an illegal act backed by the international community. UN Security Council is meeting on Kosovo's declaration of independence, after Russia called on Council to block the move. Sabina Castelfranco reports for VOA from Rome.

People danced in the streets of Pristina, fired guns into the air and waved red and black Albanian flags in jubilation at the birth of the world's newest country: Kosovo. The chamber burst into applause after a unanimous vote approved the document proclaiming independence and parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi declared Kosovo an independent, democratic and sovereign state.

The document was signed by Krasniqi, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu.


Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci greets the crowd as he walks in Kosovo's capital Pristina, Sunday, 17 Feb. 2008
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared: "The day has come and from today onwards, Kosovo is proud, independent and free."

Mr. Thaci added: "There is no room for intimidation, discrimination or unequal treatment of anyone. Our state institutions and our society will stamp out discriminatory practices. In Kosovo there will be tolerance, mutual understanding, solidarity and progress."

But Serbian President Boris Tadic immediately denounced the declaration as unilateral and illegal. Russia also rejected it and and called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Tadic has said Serbia would do everything in its power to revoke Kosvo's declaration of independence, but added that Serbia would not use force to reclaim the breakaway province. He urged urged Serbia's political parties and the 130,000 Serbs living in Kosovo "to remain calm."

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today, February 17, the fake country of Kosoco was illegally declared, on part of the territory, which is under NATO military control. He called it an unprecedented illegal act.

Some violence was reported after Kosovo declared its independence, but there was no significant damage. Hand grenades were thrown at buildings of the European Union and United Nations in the Kosovo-Serb stronghold city of Mitrovica. And Angry Serbs also stoned the U.S. embassy in Belgrade

The U.S., Britain, France and Germany are expected to quickly recognize Kosovo's independence. The European Union foreign policy chief said that stability in Kosovo and the whole Balkan region is essential, and urged everyone to act calmly and responsibly.

[Albo]

"Independent": Kosova një shembull i suksesshëm i ndërhyrjes ndërkombëtare

Londër, 17 shkurt - T'i lëmë mënjanë pesimistët vetëm për një ditë dhe t'i bashkohemi shumicës së popullit të Kosovës në festimet dhe reflektimin pse shtetësia është gjë e mirë, shkruan në numrin e sotëm gazeta britanike "Indipedent". Marrëdhëniet mes shumicës shqiptare dhe pakicës serbe vazhdojnë të jenë armiqësore, pohon gazeta dhe shton se Serbia nuk pranon të heqë dorë nga pretendimet territoriale rreth Kosovës. Sipas gazetës, ekzistenca e shtetit të ri si ekonomikisht dhe financiarisht do varet nga NATO ja dhe Bashkimi Evropian në një të ardhme të parashikueshme. Por, pavarësisht të gjithave Kosova mbetet një shembull i suksesshëm i ndërhyrjes ndërkombëtare, vlerëson "Indipendent" dhe thekson se dy gjëra janë të qarta. "E para se ishte plotësisht e drejtë t'i thuhej ndal nacionalizmit të Millosheviçit. Politika më e turpshme e qeverisë britanike të Xhon Mejxhorit ishte bindja në heshtje ndaj agresionit në Ballkan duke qëndruar anash në kohën që bëhej spastrimi etnik. Lufta e Kosovës i dha fund gjithë kësaj, Millosheviçi ra dhe Serbia hyri në rrugën e gjatë për t'iu bashkuar bashkësisë ndërkombëtare". Gazeta po ashtu thekson një element tjetër që duhet të ishte bërë e qartë që në vitin 1999 se Serbia e kishte humbur Kosovën.

QIK

[Baptist]

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/kosovo-...00010000000001

Kosovo Declares Independence
By WILLIAM J. KOLE,AP

Posted: 2008-02-17 19:29:42


Filed Under: World News
PRISTINA, Kosovo (Feb. 17) - A decade ago, Kosovo rumbled with artillery fire as ethnic Albanian separatists battled Serbian forces. On Sunday, the booms came from celebratory fireworks after parliament declared independence - a final act of defiance that dismantled the last remnant of the former Yugoslavia.

Lawmakers achieved what the bloody 1998-99 war that claimed 10,000 lives could not: They pronounced the disputed province the Republic of Kosovo, and pledged to make it a "democratic, multiethnic state."

As thousands of jubilant ethnic Albanians poured into the streets - firing guns in the air and waving red-and-black Albanian flags with their distinctive doubleheaded eagle - their leaders looked for swift recognition from the U.S. and key European powers and braced for a bitter showdown with Serbia and its ally Russia.

Revelers braved subfreezing temperatures to ride on the roofs of their cars, singing patriotic songs and chanting: "KLA! KLA!" the acronym for the now-disbanded rebel Kosovo Liberation Army. They waved American flags alongside the Albanian banner.

Many dressed in traditional costumes and played trumpets and drums, and an ethnic Albanian couple named their newborn daughter Pavarsie - Albanian for "independence."


Photo Gallery
Bela Szandelszky, AP Statehood Movements
Around the World 1 of 6
The ethnic Albanians who make up the majority of Kosovo's population declared independence from Serbia on Sunday. It's only one of several statehood movements around the world. Here, Kosovars carry an Albanian flag Friday as they anticipate the creation of a new nation.

"This is the happiest day in my life," said Mehdi Shehu, 68. "Now we're free and we can celebrate without fear."

Kosovo had formally remained a part of Serbia even though it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since 1999, when NATO airstrikes ended former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists.

Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian - most of them secular Muslims - and they see no reason to stay joined to the rest of Christian Orthodox Serbia.

[flory80]

"Independent": Kosova një shembull i suksesshëm i ndërhyrjes ndërkombëtare

Londër, 17 shkurt - T'i lëmë mënjanë pesimistët vetëm për një ditë dhe t'i bashkohemi shumicës së popullit të Kosovës në festimet dhe reflektimin pse shtetësia është gjë e mirë, shkruan në numrin e sotëm gazeta britanike "Indipedent". Marrëdhëniet mes shumicës shqiptare dhe pakicës serbe vazhdojnë të jenë armiqësore, pohon gazeta dhe shton se Serbia nuk pranon të heqë dorë nga pretendimet territoriale rreth Kosovës. Sipas gazetës, ekzistenca e shtetit të ri si ekonomikisht dhe financiarisht do varet nga NATO ja dhe Bashkimi Evropian në një të ardhme të parashikueshme. Por, pavarësisht të gjithave Kosova mbetet një shembull i suksesshëm i ndërhyrjes ndërkombëtare, vlerëson "Indipendent" dhe thekson se dy gjëra janë të qarta. "E para se ishte plotësisht e drejtë t'i thuhej ndal nacionalizmit të Millosheviçit. Politika më e turpshme e qeverisë britanike të Xhon Mejxhorit ishte bindja në heshtje ndaj agresionit në Ballkan duke qëndruar anash në kohën që bëhej spastrimi etnik. Lufta e Kosovës i dha fund gjithë kësaj, Millosheviçi ra dhe Serbia hyri në rrugën e gjatë për t'iu bashkuar bashkësisë ndërkombëtare". Gazeta po ashtu thekson një element tjetër që duhet të ishte bërë e qartë që në vitin 1999 se Serbia e kishte humbur Kosovën.

QIK

Ndoshta jam pak i dehur sonte por per here te pare po me pelqen nje shkirm i ALBOS
Gezuar te gjithe Shqiptareve ku do ku jane
Le te festoje sot me mua
Rrofte shteti me i ri Shqiptar ne harten Boterore...

[dodoni]

The Birth of Kosovo
February 18, 2008
When Slovenia declared independence in 1991, Belgrade sent in tanks. When Croatia and Bosnia did the same, the Serbs started wars that left a quarter million dead. So Serbia's resort to violent rhetoric in response to Kosovo's declaration of independence yesterday counts as a kind of Balkan progress.

The newborn isn't out of danger, with Serbia and Russia wishing Kosovo ill. But the presence of NATO troops, and expected swift recognition by the U.S. and major European powers, ought to calm nerves and end the last territorial dispute in the Balkans. By taking the lead during the 1999 aerial war that forced Slobodan Milosevic's ethnic cleansers from Kosovo and now on independence, the U.S. is shepherding one more Muslim nation to freedom—not that it will get credit for it in the Islamic world.

The proliferation of small states since the fall of communism has made Europe more stable and democratic, from Estonia to Macedonia. A sovereign Kosovo, which follows the entry of even tinier Montenegro into the club of nations, can be a force for good in the region and in the wider Europe. Though lawyers may quibble, Kosovo differs in no way from the other stand-alone parts of Yugoslavia that won their freedom after 1991, and are now better off for it. Serbian lobbyists portray the Kosovars as Muslim terrorists, but that strains credulity, given their moderate and secular practice of Islam (and Christianity) and their stated commitment to democracy.

Kosovar leaders say they want their country to join the European Union and NATO, which would open their borders to free trade and bring them into European security structures. The Kosovar Albanians also seem aware that their new state will be judged on their protection of minority Serbs and willingness to make up with former enemies. International oversight and scrutiny can help ensure these promises are kept. Western chaperones will also have to watch the fragile multiethnic constructs in nearby Bosnia and Macedonia, where separatists may try to use Kosovo independence to push for a breakup.

Russia has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to revoke the independence declaration. With no troops or permanent interests on the ground, however, Moscow may be happy merely to score political points against the West—and then, as usual, abandon the Serbs to their fate.

Serbia is the sole former Yugoslav state that is not on track to integrate with the West. Responsible for and unapologetic about so much bloodletting in the 1990s, it doesn't seem to realize that history has moved on. The furious reaction to Kosovo independence has been redolent of Milosevic's "Greater Serbia" nationalism. In a televised address on the weekend, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica blamed the U.S. for "this violence," stoking the Serb sense of grievance.

Some European countries want to indulge the Serbs, offering them fast-track membership in the EU. In return, Serb politicians have threatened to freeze EU talks and downgrade relations with countries that recognize Kosovo—in short, most of the West. If the Serbs want to live through yet another lost decade, that is their choice to make.

The one Serbian politician brave enough to challenge Serbian historical nationalism was the late Prime Minister Zoran Djinjic, who was killed in 2003. Serbia needs another leader who can acknowledge the country's cultural and historical links to Kosovo, while accepting its neighbor's desire for freedom. One doesn't cancel the other. Germans appreciate Gdansk's role in their history without calling for another invasion of Poland, and Poles treasure Vilnius but accept Lithuania's freedom.

Serbian President Boris Tadic, who barely beat an ultranationalist in elections this month, has pledged to "do everything in [Serbia's] power to revoke the unilateral and illegal declaration of independence." He also said Serbia wants to join the EU. Brussels can help Serbia's re-education by insisting that any progress on membership be conditional on Belgrade's recognition of Kosovo. It can also insist, as the EU has for the past 13 years, that Serbia hand over indicted war criminals Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic for trial.

The EU's great achievement has been to bring World War II enemies into a club committed to peace and prosperity. It's now the Balkans' turn. Kosovo's independence opens the way to bringing this region into Europe, which is a victory for everyone, including the Serbs.

Wall Street Journal

[brooklyn2007]

Sipas nje informacioni i dale minutat e fundit duket se qeveria federale e Australise eshte e para qe ka njohur zyrtarisht pavaresine e Kosoves. Me poshte linku:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...18/2165873.htm

[Davius]

Bush recognizes Kosovo's independence

ARUSHA, Tanzania - President Bush on Monday recognized Kosovo's bold and historic bid for statehood, saying "The Kosavars are now independent."
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Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership announced its independence from Serbia over the weekend, and suspense gripped the province on Monday as its citizens awaited key backing from the United States and key European powers.

"It's something that I've advocated along with my government," Bush said in an interview on NBC's "Today."

By appealing directly to the U.S. and other nations for recognition, Kosovo's independence set up a showdown with Serbia — outraged at the imminent loss of its territory — and Russia.

Kosovo had formally remained a part of Serbia even though it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since 1999, when NATO airstrikes ended former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists, which killed 10,000 people.

In April 2007, U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari recommended that Kosovo be granted internationally supervised independence. But talks that followed failed to yield an agreement between the ethnic Albanian leadership, which pushed for full statehood, and Serbia, which was willing to offer only autonomy.

"The Ahtisaari plan is our blueprint forward," Bush said. "We'll watch to see how the events unfold today. The Kosovars are now independent."

Serbia made clear it would never accept Kosovo's statehood. On Monday, Serbia said it would seek to block Kosovo from gaining diplomatic recognition and membership in the U.N. and other international organizations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that independence without U.N. approval would set a dangerous precedent for "frozen conflicts" across the former Soviet Union, where separatists in Chechnya and Georgia are agitating for independence.

European Union nations have stood deeply divided over whether to recognize Kosovo's independence as their foreign ministers gathered in Brussels, Belgium, to try to forge a common stance. Britain, France, Germany and Ireland indicated they would push ahead with recognition. But Spain, which has struggled with its own separatist movement in the Basque region, called Kosovo's declaration illegal.

On Sunday, Bush said the U.S. will work to prevent violent clashes following the historic announcement.

"The United States will continue to work with our allies to do the very best we can to make sure there's no violence," Bush said several hours before Kosovo's parliament approved the declaration.

___

Associated Press Writers William J. Kole and Nebi Qena in Pristina, Dusan Stojanovic in Kosovska Mitrovica and Jovana Gec in Belgrade contributed to this report.

YAHOO

[RaPSouL]

EU splits on Kosovo recognition

European Union foreign ministers have failed to forge a joint position on Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia.
While France confirmed that it would recognise independence, as expected, several member states led by Spain made clear their legal concerns.

US President George W Bush said Kosovo's people were "independent" but stopped short of formal recognition.

Russia has backed Serbia in its refusal to recognise Kosovo's secession.

About 10,000 students protested in Belgrade on Monday, and thousands of the city's taxi-drivers went on strike in protest at the declaration of independence, while thousands of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo's enclaves also rallied.


See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown
On Sunday, Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians celebrated the declaration with fireworks late into the night.

Serbian security forces were driven out of Kosovo in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of ethnic Albanian separatists.

The province has been under United Nations administration and Nato protection since then.

'Many doubts'

Sunday's declaration by the Kosovo parliament said independence would be built in accordance with the UN plan drawn up by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.

This outlines several limits on independence including an international presence and provision for the protection of the Serb minority.

Mr Bush, speaking in Tanzania during an Africa tour, said the plan would be the "blueprint forward".

One of the first states which recognised Kosovo was Afghanistan which referred to "the right of sovereignty".

In Brussels, the EU presidency announced after a day of intense talks between foreign ministers that member countries were free to decide individually whether to recognise Kosovo's independence.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said after the meeting that Paris would recognise Kosovo's independence.

The issue exposed major splits within the EU, the BBC's Oana Lungescu reports.

Spanish Minister for Europe Alberto Navarro told the BBC he was frustrated that the future of Kosovo was being decided by the world's big powers in breach of international law, and said he feared it would boost separatism.


"What I say as a European is that I'm really frustrated that the future of Kosovo has been decided in Washington and to some extent in Moscow, and not in Europe," he added.

"...I think many people have many doubts about the international legality of what it is going on about this declaration of independence."

Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia also expressed anxiety about the signal that recognition might send to separatists.

UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband had said it was critical for the EU to show leadership and end the cycle of violence in the Balkans.

Together with France, Germany and Italy, Britain insists Kosovo is a unique case, not a precedent, our correspondent adds.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said her country was seeking a "platform of unity within the EU" and would not declare its position on Monday.

The EU has already agreed to send about 2,000 police, justice and civil administration officials to oversee Kosovo and help develop the province's institutions.

'False state'

Russia's parliament passed a motion on Monday condemning the declaration of independence.


As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia can block Kosovo's entry into the organisation as a sovereign state and it said on Sunday that Kosovo's declaration should be null and void.

Serbia's interior ministry filed criminal charges on Monday against Kosovo Albanian leaders instrumental in proclaiming independence.

It accused Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and two others of proclaiming a "false state" on Serbian territory.

Chanting and playing music, students marched in Belgrade under a huge banner reading "Kosovo is a part of Serbia and Serbia is a part of the world".

The scenes were in stark contrast to riots that took place in the capital a few hours earlier when a few hundred, mainly football hooligans, went on the rampage clashing with police and stoning embassies, the BBC's Nick Hawton reports.


Some acts of violence were reported in Kosovo itself after Sunday's declaration.

A hand grenade thrown at a UN court building in the divided town of Mitrovica, and a UN car was reported to have been destroyed in the nearby village of Zubin Potok.


BBC