Feb 19, 2008 3:21 pm US/Eastern
Bush: Kosovo Independence 'Historic Step'
Strategy Was Well Planned, Bush Says
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
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President George W. Bush
Kristoffer Tripplaar-Pool/Getty Images
With President Bush leading the way from Africa, U.S.
officials are working across a broad international front to shore up support
for Kosovo's declaration of independence.
"The independence of Kosovo is an historic step for the
Balkans region," Bush said Tuesday in Tanzania
before flying to Rwanda.
"It presents an opportunity to move beyond the conflicts of the past and
toward a future of freedom and stability and peace."
With actions
unfolding in the United Nations and the European Union to back Kosovo, Bush
made clear it was all part of a calculated effort.
"This strategy was
well planned," Bush said, noting that "we had worked out with our
European allies the sequencing of it, to make sure that there was a concerted
and constant voice supporting this move."
He said Russia
was involved in those consultations even though it does not back Kosovo's move.
"Actually, we
have been working very closely with the Russians, as we have with the Europeans
and other nations on Kosovo's independence, because we believe it's the right
thing to do," Bush said. "You know, there's a disagreement, but we
believe, as do many other nations, that history will prove this to be a correct
move, to bring peace to the Balkans." He added that "we have been in
close consultation with the Russians all along. This wasn't a surprise to Russia."
Bush urged Kosovo to
uphold its agreement to protect the rights of minorities and pledged the United States
will work with other nations to bring about a smooth and peaceful transition to
independence
Earlier, Bush in a
letter promised Kosovo's new president, Fatmir Sejdiu, that "the United states
will be your partner and your friend.
Serbia recalled its ambassador from Washington over the U.S. decision, and it has
threatened to recall its envoys from all countries that establish diplomatic
ties with Kosovo, though it said it would not sever relations.
"We feel that
this is a travesty of international law. We feel that the negotiations should
go on," Ambassador Ivan Vujacic said at a news conference Monday evening
at the Serbian Embassy in Washington, adding
that he would leave the United
States within 48 hours. "We feel that
the imposed solution concerning Kosovo is not the right solution and will not
add to stability."
Russia and Serbia maintained at a U.N.
Security Council emergency session that an independent Kosovo violates the
council's orders.
Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice welcomed "the commitments Kosovo made in its declaration
of independence" to implement a United Nations-backed plan, "to
embrace multi-ethnicity as a fundamental principle of good governance, and to
welcome a period of international supervision."
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said Tuesday that Rice telephoned him on Monday and that he
"stressed our fundamental position that Pristina's unilateral actions in declaring
the territory's independence of the territory are unacceptable." A
ministry statement said Lavrov also emphasized "the danger of such a step,
which threatens the destruction of the world order that has developed over
centuries, and of international security."
Undersecretary of
State Nicholas Burns, at a news conference Monday, said, "I do not expect
any kind of crisis with the Russians over this."
Burns said the nearly
17,000 NATO troops in Kosovo, including 1,600 U.S. forces, would remain in the
country.
He also said that a
donors conference would be held soon, and announced the United States was committing $334 million in U.S. assistance
to Kosovo this year in addition to the $77 million provided in 2007.
Rep. Howard Berman,
acting chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he supported the
diplomatic recognition but added, "Now the work begins. The challenges
ahead include tackling high unemployment and bolstering the country's weak
economy, strengthening political institutions and the rule of law, and preserving
security throughout the region."
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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