U.S., many in EU recognize Kosovo

The United States and major European powers formally recognized Kosovo on Monday, but fears of fueling secessionist movements around the world undercut their efforts to project a broader front of support for what they regard as Europe’s newest state.

The 27 members of the European Union were unable to agree in a lengthy meeting on a joint approach to the tiny Balkan state, which declared independence from Serbia on Sunday. Instead, foreign ministers declared it was up to each member nation to decide for itself.

France, Germany, Britain and Italy were among 17 EU members that signaled they would grant recognition. But Spain and Greece, along with Slovakia, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria, said they would not, citing the danger of encouraging other breakaway regions.

“This does not recognize international law,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose country is worried about secessionist movements of its own.

The U.S. had for years considered independence the only realistic path because of the mistreatment of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority by the Serbian government. It recognized Kosovo in a statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a letter from President Bush to Kosovo’s president, in which he urged Kosovo to protect its Serb minority.

“I support your embrace of multi-ethnicity as a principle of good governance and your commitment to developing accountable institutions in which all citizens are equal under the law,” Bush wrote to President Fatmir Sejdiu.

He told reporters in Tanzania today, “History will prove this will be a correct move to bring peace to the Balkans.”

As Europe chose sides, so did other nations around the world, their decisions based largely on how they view their own minorities.

Russia, China, and the Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan were among those that sided with Serbia against immediate recognition. Afghanistan, Turkey, Australia, Albania and Taiwan signaled that they would support it.

Holding back wider international support were fears of inflaming separatist movements large and small in many parts of the world: the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia, among Basques in Spain, the Trans-Dniester in Moldova, the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, Turkish areas of Cyprus, the Tamil Tiger movement in Sri Lanka and many others.

Kosovo’s government received sufficient support to function in the world community, said U.S. officials and foreign diplomats. But the objections will complicate the impoverished state’s efforts to win aid and develop trade.

Serbia, which had threatened to downgrade diplomatic relations with the United States if it recognized the new state, charged that the United States had violated international law and recalled its ambassador to Washington. Serbia regards Kosovo as part of its historic homeland.

Critics warned that in addition to encouraging secessionist movements elsewhere, creation of an independent Kosovo could spark renewed violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs, and sharpen conflicts between the U.S. and Russia, a key ally of Serbia.

U.S. officials, who have championed Kosovo since leading NATO in an air war against Belgrade in 1999 to halt Serbian attacks, sought to downplay such concerns. They maintained that an attempt to prevent independence would have failed, resulting in a more violent secession.

In his letter Monday to the president of Kosovo, Bush cited “the deep and sincere bonds of friendship that united our people.”

Rice, who was traveling in Africa with Bush, warned in a statement that Kosovo’s move should not be used as a precedent by leaders of breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union. The combination of civilian suffering in Kosovo and a long period of U.N. supervision made Kosovo “a special case,” she said.

The U.S. statement of support came after missteps by the White House. U.S. officials had planned to issue their statement of recognition after what they hoped would be a consensus EU statement.

However, Bush seemed to jump ahead of the plan in an NBC interview early Monday in Tanzania. “The Kosovars are now independent,” he said in remarks widely taken to mean that the U.S. had recognized Kosovo.

White House officials insisted he was not formally announcing that step. But a few hours later, they confirmed it after Rice’s statement.

In Belgrade, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica denounced the U.S. decision. “This decision by the United States will not turn the false state into a real one,” Kostunica said.

The Serbian parliament voted without a dissenting vote to seek the annulment of “the illegitimate actions” of the people of Kosovo. Serbian police filed criminal charges against Kosovo’s president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker for proclaiming “a phony state on Serbian territory.”

Some U.S. foreign policy experts described the American-led push for independence as a gamble.

“If you want to encourage civil wars, this is a very good way to do it,” said Alan J. Kuperman, a professor at the University of Texas who has warned against the step for some time.

Among those who might take encouragement, he said, are ethnic Albanians in Macedonia and ethnic Serbs in Bosnia. Even rebels in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region may interpret Kosovo’s move as a sign they should step up pressure for independence, he said.

Experts appeared divided on the legal aspects of Kosovo’s declaration.

“Russia and Serbia probably have the stronger technical argument, simply because there are such strong international norms against dividing sovereign states,” said Timothy Waters, a law professor at Indiana University in Bloomington. However, that might not mean much after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization air war nine years ago.

Paul Williams, a professor at American University who has advised Kosovo, said it may reflect a new era when protecting human rights is as important as protecting a country’s sovereignty.

The presidents of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia said at a joint news conference in Moscow that Kosovo’s action creates a precedent to “more actively continue to work” for their own independence.

“Everybody is looking at what has been happening in Kosovo yesterday and today as something sensational,” said Sergei Bagapsh, president of the Abkhazia region, adding that it was a “serious delusion” to think they would not be encouraged to push ahead. “We have set off on our journey earlier and we will go all the way to the end.”

Both presidents lamented what they called a double standard applied by the United States and the European Union to Kosovo.

In Moscow, Russian parliamentary leaders said Kosovo’s independence could lead to new ties between Russia and secessionist states in the former Soviet satellites.

Yet private analysts in Russia said Moscow is unlikely to retaliate against the West by recognizing the breakaway states, but rather intends to keep fighting to prevent Kosovo from gaining full international recognition.

Sergei Markov, director of the Institute of Political Studies in Moscow, said that Russia would be able to prevent Kosovo from getting full recognition.

“Russia will not permit Kosovo to become a U.N. member,” he said. “Russia and its many allies will do their best to prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of various important international bodies and organizations, from UNESCO to the International Olympic Committee.”

paul.richter@latimes.com

geraldine.baum@latimes.com

Richter reported from Washington and Baum from Paris. Times staff writers Sergei L. Loiko in Moscow and Maggie Farley at the United Nations and special correspondents Christian Retzlaff in Berlin and Zoran Cirjakovic in Belgrade contributed to this report.

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Kosovo at a glance

Key facts about Kosovo, which on Sunday declared independence from Serbia:

Land

Kosovo covers about 4,200 square miles, making it slightly larger than Los Angeles County. It also borders Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia.

People

About 2 million. About 90% are ethnic Albanian, most of whom are Muslim. The remaining 10% are mainly Orthodox Christian Serbs.

History

Kosovo, the site of an epic battle between Serbs and Turks in 1389, is considered hallowed ground by Serbs, and the birthplace of their identity. Ethnic Albanians say they are descendants of the ancient Illyrians, Kosovo’s first inhabitants.

Sources: Times staff and wires