IRELAND'S DECISION to recognise Kosovo was not an act of hostility towards Serbia, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
Announcing the move yesterday, he expressed the hope both countries could move towards a brighter future in Europe.
Others who have recognised Kosovo include the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, Latvia, Estonia, Luxembourg, Australia and Turkey. However, Serbia, Russia, Spain, Romania, Cyprus, Slovakia and Venezuela have opposed the move.
"We regret that years of talks failed to produce an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. The reality is that the legacy of the conflict of the late 1990s made the return of Serb dominion in Kosovo unthinkable, and also undermined the prospects for a long-sought compromise," Mr Ahern said.
"After almost nine years under UN-led interim administration, more than 90 per cent of Kosovo's population wants independence . . . Ireland strongly supported last year's proposal by UN secretary general's special envoy on Kosovo, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari - which recommended that Kosovo's status should be independence, supervised by the international community.
"This proposal included detailed provisions concerning the promotion and protection of the rights of communities and their members. I am pleased to note the commitment by Kosovo to implement fully the Ahtisaari recommendations.
"I know that the independence of Kosovo is painful for Serbia, and difficult to accept. And I want to underline that recognition of Kosovo is not an act of hostility toward Serbia. I hope that Serbia and Kosovo can soon begin to put their tragic shared past behind them . . . I look forward to future friendly relations between Ireland and Kosovo," Mr Ahern added.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in a speech to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna last Wednesday. At the time the Taoiseach indicated recognition of Kosovo was only a matter of days.
Welcoming the announcement, Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Billy Timmins said: "It was clear from the moment that Kosovo declared independence that the declaration complies with international law.
"There is an overwhelming desire for self-determination by 90 per cent of the population of Kosovo. It is also imperative that calm remains in the area and that the principles of the Ahtisaari plan are adhered to which give recognition to the rights of the minority Serbian population."
In its resolution of February 17th, the Kosovo Assembly declared the country to be "a democratic, secular and multi-ethnic republic, guided by the principles of non-discrimination and equal protection under the law".
It undertook to implement the obligations set out in the Ahtisaari proposal for a final status settlement, emphasising "those that protect and promote the rights of communities and their members".