Albania happy with change of Serbian UN resolution on Kosovo

TIRANA, Sep. 13 – Albania seems pleased that Serbia failed to pass a resolution with the words it had first put referring to the Kosovo independence two years ago.
Last week in a blow to Serbia, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a watered-down resolution by acclamation which “acknowledges” an international court ruling that Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia was legal.
Serbia had introduced a draft resolution to the 192-member world body challenging the July 22 decision by the U.N.’s highest court. It called Kosovo’s unilateral secession “unacceptable,” declared “that unilateral secession is not a way to achieve statehood or to resolve territorial disputes,” and demanded more talks on the status issue.
But the Serbia draft was unacceptable to the 70 countries that have recognized Kosovo’s independence, including the United States and many in the European Union, which Serbia hopes to join. The EU urged Serbia to withdraw its draft and focus instead on its prospects for EU membership.
After lengthy negotiations, the initial Serbia draft was virtually scrapped and replaced by a new text which simply “acknowledges” the nonbinding advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. It also welcomes the EU’s readiness to promote a dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo which would promote cooperation and “achieve progress on the path to the European Union and improve the lives of the people.”
Kosovo came under U.N. and NATO administration after a 1999 NATO-led air war halted former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. But the Security Council resolution that established the interim U.N. administration left Kosovo’s final status in question.
Kosovo’s predominantly ethnic Albanian leadership declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, with strong backing from the United States and major European Union nations. But the Serbian government, strongly supported by Russia, insists that Kosovo is still legally bound by the Security Council resolution and the U.N. — at Moscow’s insistence — still retains overall authority in Kosovo though many day-to-day administrative responsibilities have been transferred to a 2,000-strong EU peacekeeping force.
Albania was involved in a strong lobbying urging all U.N. General Assembly members to back Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia and saying that approval of the Serbian resolution would “negatively affect” Balkan peace and stability.
Foreign Minister Ilir Meta expressed the confidence for the continuation of recognition of Kosovo and underlined the fact that Kosovo is in a very good path after the Advisory Opinion’s of the ICJ.
Meta held a series of meetings prior and during the annual UN meeting, especially urging the countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to recognize Kosovo. Before that he held a tour in the Latin American countries during which Honduras made the formal recognition.