Albanian Speaker visits Kosova to support its proposed independence

TIRANA, May 30 – Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli has made a visit to Kosova to express Albanian support for the proposed independence advocated by U.N. representative, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
While in Kosova, Topalli met with top Kosovar officials.
Topalli’s visit is being held while the United States and Europe are negotiating with Russia not to veto the province’s independence when it is debated at the U.N. Security Council next month.
Ahtisaari’s package has created a conditional independence for the province. While ethnic Albanians continue to seek full independence, Belgrade remains totally opposed and is involved in a diplomatic tour to convince other powers to prevent Kosava independence. Serb president, Boris Tadic, was in Italy where he did not find support to oppose an independent Kosova.
Albania has been involved in intensive diplomatic visits worldwide to convince national leaders that Kosova’s independence would help not only the province, but also peace and security in the formerly troubled Balkan region.
Meanwhile, earlier this week President Alfred Moisiu insisted in a summit of southeastern countries in Budva, Montenegro that the world should not delay approving Kosova’s independence status.
He also said that Russia should not veto the proposal at the U.N. Security Council, as that would not help the case for peace.
The U.N. will debate Kosova’s Ahtisaari package in June, but it is not clear whether it is going to decide on approving another resolution on its independence.
Russia has insisted a new U.N. mission should be sent to the region to create another proposal. Neither Washington nor Brussels have supported the Russian position.