TIRANA, July 22 – Official Tirana on Thursday hailed the United Nations' highest court verdict that Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia did not break international law.

The nonbinding opinion, passed by a 10-4 majority of the court's judges, set the stage for a renewed push by Kosovo for further international recognition of its independence.

A statement of the Foreign Ministry said that “Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta beleives that the Court's opinion at the same time opens the way to speedin up of the recognition process of the indipendent and sovereign state of Kosovo toward full membership with all the rights into the United Nations in a near future.”

International Court of Justice President Hisashi Owada said international law contains no "prohibition on declarations of independence" and therefore Kosovo's declaration "did not violate general international law."

Kosovo sparked sharp debate worldwide when it seceded from Serbia in 2008, following a bloody 1998-99 war with Serbia and nearly a decade of international administration.