Berisha lobbies for Kosova’s recognition at Beijing Olympics

TIRANA, Aug 10 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha lobbied hard for Kosova’s recognition during his visit to Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Kosova, with a predominantly ethnic Albanian population, declared independence in February, something that has not been accepted by Serbia. Meanwhile, Prishtina has managed to receive formal recognition from 44 countries, but is still finding harsh resistance from Russia, China and other countries. Berisha met with many top officials from different countries (Vietnam, Japan, Switzerland, France, Guinea, African countries, and others) who were present at the ceremony, insisting during the talks with them that recognizing Kosova as an independent state was the real way to secure peace and stability in the Balkans. (Tirana Times Staff)