22 February 2008
Kosovo's Independence a Just Solution, Says Burns
Establishment of new nation key step to stability in Balkans
Washington -- The United States is proud to support the new independent state of Kosovo and views Kosovo's independence as the final stage “of the long and nonconsensual process of dissolution of the former Yugoslavia,” says a senior U.S. diplomat.
“Kosovo deserved to be independent,” Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said in a February 22 Ask America webchat on America.gov. “Serbia gave up any right to Kosovo after its brutal and unwarranted assault on the Kosovar Albanian community in 1998-99.”
On February 17, Kosovo declared its independence after nearly a decade of U.N. administration following the 1999 NATO-led intervention that ended the violence against the former Serbian province's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority. (See "Bush Hails Kosovo Independence.")
In addition to its role in NATO peacekeeping, the United States actively supported the diplomatic process for many years between Kosovo and Serbia through the U.N. Security Council, the Contact Group and the subsequent “troika” talks by the European Union, Russia and the United States. But after years of deadlock, a definitive solution was essential, Burns said.
Burns said that a longer delay in independence would have contributed to greater regional instability.
Kosovo's unique history, its long period under U.N. administration and the diplomatic process that led to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's 12-point plan for independence following a period of international supervision make its situation unique, and are why Kosovo should not be viewed as a precedent for other groups seeking independence.
Burns welcomed new laws passed by Kosovo's government this week that safeguard the rights of Serbs and other minority populations in the new nation and said the United States also considers their safety a priority. “We believe Kosovo's future should be multi-ethnic and multireligious,” he said.
Burns condemned the February 21 attack on the U.S. Embassy compound in Belgrade, Serbia, by nationalist rioters as “the uncivilized acts of a mob who took the law into their own hands,” which he addressed personally in phone calls to Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Serbian protesters also staged demonstrations outside the Bosnian, British, Croatian, German and Turkish embassies.
“Serbia should look at its own responsibilities first, and ensure the safety of diplomats on its soil,” Burns said.
In the coming years, Burns said, Kosovo will need $2 billion in assistance to get on its feet. The United States provided $77.7 million in assistance in 2007, and expects to deliver $412 million this year. The United States will be working actively to encourage others to give generously at an upcoming donors' conference.
“I'm optimistic that with American and European leadership and the good will of the international community, we will be able to go a long way towards meeting Kosovo's pressing needs during the early years of its statehood,” Burns said.
A transcript of Burns's remarks is available from America.gov.
