EU states vow not to recognise Kosovo's independence bid 2 Feb 2008, 0743 hrs ISThttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/images/spacer.gif,http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/images/spacer.gifAFP http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/images/spacer.gif
ATHENS: As the European Union struggles for a unified response to Kosovo's
expected declaration of independence, several EU states - mainly those near the
Serb province - fear the move could destabilise the historically volatile
Balkan region.
"Certain countries fear that a unilateral declaration of independence threatens
peace in the Balkans, while others are concerned about a negative precedent in
international law," a European diplomat in Athens said.
"And then there is Spain, which faces its own separatist movement," he said.
Romania, Cyprus and Slovakia were the loudest to state their opposition this
week, all vowing not to recognise Kosovo if it declares independence.
Greece and Bulgaria are also wary of potentially explosive border changes in
their area while Spain and Slovakia cannot ignore the possible effects on their
respective Basque and Hungarian minorities.
Spain faces an additional challenge as its northeastern region of Catalonia has
long sought greater autonomy.
"What message are we sending to multi-ethnic societies or to other states that
are facing ethnic issues or frozen conflicts?" Romanian President Traian
Basescu said in a conference in Brussels.
"We could be casting a shadow on the United Nations charter and the Helsinki
Final Act," he said, adding that these are "laws which guaranteed 60 years of
peace in Europe".
Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubis struck a similar tone on Friday after a
meeting with Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic, arguing that unilateral steps
have "a great destabilisation potential".
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders are expected to announce in coming days that
they are breaking away from Serbia, a move opposed by Belgrade and its ally
Russia.
The United States stands ready to recognise an independent Kosovo, as are many
European Union states, with the EU set to deploy a justice mission to the
territory to help oversee the transition from UN to local rule.
Greece has not publicly said whether it will recognise Kosovo, but the Greeks
are averse to a unilateral move influenced by external pressure, says Theodore
Kouloumbis from the Greek Foundation for Foreign and European Politics
(ELIAMEP), pointing to Washington's keen interest in the affair.
Bulgaria - which has a 350-kilometre (220-mile) border with Serbia and lies
only 45 kilometres east of Kosovo - is just as guarded in its statements.
"We will not be among the states to immediately recognise an independent
Kosovo," Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said Wednesday, while his foreign
minister last month said that Bulgaria's position is "closer to that of the US
than that of Russia."
Cyprus - which holds elections on February 17 - has seen all this before.
The island has been divided into ethnic Greek and Turkish parts since 1974, and
the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared independence
in 1983, though it is only recognised by Turkey.
"Cyprus, for reasons of principle, cannot recognise and will not recognise a
unilateral declaration of independence," Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato
Kozakou-Marcoullis said on Thursday.
"This is an issue of principle, of respect of international law, but also an
issue of concern that it will create a precedent in international relations,"
Erato added.
In Spain's case, Kosovo is already being held up as an example by separatists
in the northern Basque Country.
In January, leaders of armed Basque separatist group ETA sought to justify
their own push for independence from Spain by naming Kosovo and Scotland as
examples in an interview in the online edition of Basque newspaper Gara.
The unnamed ETA leaders pointed to the example of Kosovo and Scotland to argue
that the group "is not talking about utopias".
While Spain officially refuses to link the two cases, Spanish officials
privately admit that Kosovo is a "poisonous" issue for Madrid.
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