Berisha says independent Kosova this month

TOKYO, Feb. 6 – The Russian Itar-Tass news agency reported Wednesday that Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who is on a visit to Japan, had said that Albanian leaders in Kosova would proclaim the independence in February.
“February is the month, when the Kosovo authorities, as I expect, will proclaim the independence of their country after coordinating that step with the United States and the member countries of the European Union,” Berisha was quoted from a news conference there.
Berisha refused to comment on the supposition that the secession of Kosova will result in its merger with Albania sooner or later, because ethnic Albanians make some 90 per cent Kosova’s population, according to the news agency, adding that Berisha had said earlier that Tirana had no plans of creating a federation with Kosova, and it intended to respect the border with Kosova as a friendly country.