Berisha urges Kosovo recognition at UN

NEW YORK, Sep 28 – Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha put the subject of the recognition of the new state in the Balkans, Kosovo, as a main issue at his speech at the annual session of the United Nations.
Berisha said that inter-ethnic tensions in Kosovo have fallen significantly since it declared independence from Serbia last year and the wider region has become more stable as a direct result.
Berisha said Kosovo independence in February 2008 has proved to be “an important factor of peace and stability in the South-East European region.”
Berisha also said that ethnic Serbs “are not leaving Kosovo any more. The opposite is happening – many Serbian families are coming back to Kosovo to build their future there.”
Berisha pledged that his Government would help Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians are more than 90 percent of the population, to facilitate the return of displaced people.
Berisha said that the independence of Kosovo has turned into an important fact of peace and stability in the Balkans, its recognition of independence as an irreversible reality is the stronger reaffirmation.
He called on all UN member states to recognize the independence of Kosovo, emphasizing that recognition is a great contribution to the peace, stability and security in Southeastern Europe.
Sixty-three countries have already recognized Kosovo as independent, and it has become a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
“I must stress at this point that the establishment of the independent state of Kosovo, although only a small period of time has passed since its declaration of independence, has turned into an important factor of peace and stability in South Eastern Europe. In this country, which declared its independence 20 months ago, inter-ethnic tensions have significantly been reduced. Serbs are not leaving Kosovo anymore, the opposite is happening, many Serbian families are coming back to Kosovo to build their future there. My Government is determined to help and assist the government of Kosovo in its projects that facilitate the return of the displaced people in the country,” he said.
“Nevertheless, Kosovo has not yet taken the place it deserves in the family of sovereign countries of this prestigious Organization.”
Berisha also hailed the EULEX “excellent job” in Kosovo “providing an extremely precious help to the government of Kosovo and its authorities into consolidating the rule of law and functional democracy in Kosovo as well as into developing the best European standards of co-existence of various ethnic communities. KFOR also has played a very positive role and the fact that mission has been drastically reduced is a clear evidence for stability in this country.”
“I take this opportunity and express my deepest gratitude to all the governments of the member-states of the United Nations that will consider in their agendas the review and assessment of this existing reality in the Southeastern Europe and the possibility of recognizing the independence of Kosovo. In my humble judgment, this would be a great contribution to the peace, stability and security in our region.”
Serbia told the Assembly this evening that the Albanian leader was speaking about an issue that was an internal matter for Serbia.
Serbia Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that Belgrade had forwarded official protest to the UN because of the visit by Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu to the world organization.