Canada struggles with recognizing Kosovo Wed, March 12, 2008
By SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES OTTAWA -- Recognition of Kosovo's self-declared independence is a troubling issue for the Canadian government and some analysts suggest it might be best to leave the question unanswered for a while. The province declared itself independent of Serbia three weeks ago and Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has said only that the government is watching the situation and will announce a position "once our assessment is complete." About 30 countries have recognized Kosovo. Another two dozen or so, including Russia, have said they are strongly opposed. Canada straddles the fence. For the minority Tory government, it's a no-win issue. "Whichever way they go, they will lose something," said Pierre Martin, a political science professor at the University of Montreal, who has written on Kosovo.
