"U.S. driving through Kosovo independence"

The U.S. State Department is urging European countries to recognize Kosovo independence as soon as possible. Moreover, it is prompting EU presiding country Slovenia to set the example, Belgrade daily Politika writes today, exclusively publishing internal memorandums from the Slovenian Foreign Ministry which testify to this. "U.S. driving through Kosovo independence" Politika has had access to a document, excerpts of which Ljubljana daily Dnevnik also published today, in which U.S Deputy Secretary of State Rosemary Di Carlo explained how she had advised the Albanians to declare independence at a session of the Kosovo Parliament on Sunday, because then "the Russian Federation would not have enough time to call a Security Council meeting." During the conversation, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said he was certain that six EU member states would not recognize Kosovo initially, but that if at least 15 of the 27 EU member-states did so, it would be more than enough. Fried explained that Slovenia's leadership of the EU would be of key importance, adding that the United States was avoiding making any statements in regards to Kosovo's independence for the moment, but that it would be among the first countries to recognize Kosovo once the province’s authorities had announced independence after the Serbian presidential election. He added that the U.S. was also trying to encourage as many states as possible outside the EU to recognize Kosovo during the initial few days after the independence declaration, and that it was lobbying hard in Japan, Turkey, as well as in Arab states that had expressed, according to Fried, readiness to recognize Kosovo.

"U.S. driving through Kosovo independence"

Politika has had access to a document, excerpts of which Ljubljana daily Dnevnik also published today, in which U.S Deputy Secretary of State Rosemary Di Carlo explained how she had advised the Albanians to declare independence at a session of the Kosovo Parliament on Sunday, because then "the Russian Federation would not have enough time to call a Security Council meeting."

During the conversation, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said he was certain that six EU member states would not recognize Kosovo initially, but that if at least 15 of the 27 EU member-states did so, it would be more than enough.

Fried explained that Slovenia's leadership of the EU would be of key importance, adding that the United States was avoiding making any statements in regards to Kosovo's independence for the moment, but that it would be among the first countries to recognize Kosovo once the province’s authorities had announced independence after the Serbian presidential election.

He added that the U.S. was also trying to encourage as many states as possible outside the EU to recognize Kosovo during the initial few days after the independence declaration, and that it was lobbying hard in Japan, Turkey, as well as in Arab states that had expressed, according to Fried, readiness to recognize Kosovo.