Miliband: Independence "less dangerous"

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Tuesday defended London's support for Kosovo's independence. He said that recognizing the ethnic Albanians' unilateral secession that Serbia views as illegal, was "less dangerous than stifling secessionist feeling". Miliband: Independence "less dangerous" Miliband said the "90 percent plus Muslim population" in Kosovo had been seeking self-determination since the end of a NATO bombing campaign in 1999. "If we'd tried to sit on that aspiration, if we'd tried to deny it, I think we'd have far more instability and danger" in the Balkans, he told BBC radio. "That's not to say that the current situation is not without risks but I think the risks would have been far greater if we'd tried to squash the desire for independence." But Miliband said Kosovo was a "unique case because of its recent history of ethnic cleansing, humanitarian catastrophe and the effect of the international community's inaction in the Balkans in the 1990s." "It was not comparable to other would-be independent states as it had been run as a United Nations protectorate within Serbia for the last nine years," he added. Britain and France declared their support for an independent Kosovo in Brussels on Monday. Germany, Italy and 14 other member states in the 27-member bloc declared their intention to follow suit. But Miliband said he was "confident a majority of EU countries would recognize Kosovo in the coming week." "Kosovo's EU bid to be discussed in 20 years" The Chairman of the German Bundestag Committee for Europe Gunther Kirchbaum was reacting today with restraint to the proclamation of Kosovo's unilateral independence, when he said "it would not be possible to discuss the issue of Kosovo's EU membership for long period of time." The western officials have made the case of Kosovo's integration into the EU as a guarantee that the troubled province will not cause further instability to the region, and said their recognition of the act, which Serbia sees as illegal, was based on this rationale. "We are trying to make independent the structures there that are not capable of surviving, which will require an engagement of the EU for years to come," Kirchbaum said. The issue of Kosovo's joining the EU, according to the Demo-Christian from Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, "should not be considered as yet." Kirchbaum said that "another 20 years would pass before this matter could be debated."

Miliband: Independence "less dangerous"

Miliband said the "90 percent plus Muslim population" in Kosovo had been seeking self-determination since the end of a NATO bombing campaign in 1999.

"If we'd tried to sit on that aspiration, if we'd tried to deny it, I think we'd have far more instability and danger" in the Balkans, he told BBC radio.

"That's not to say that the current situation is not without risks but I think the risks would have been far greater if we'd tried to squash the desire for independence."

But Miliband said Kosovo was a "unique case because of its recent history of ethnic cleansing, humanitarian catastrophe and the effect of the international community's inaction in the Balkans in the 1990s."

"It was not comparable to other would-be independent states as it had been run as a United Nations protectorate within Serbia for the last nine years," he added.

Britain and France declared their support for an independent Kosovo in Brussels on Monday. Germany, Italy and 14 other member states in the 27-member bloc declared their intention to follow suit.

But Miliband said he was "confident a majority of EU countries would recognize Kosovo in the coming week."

"Kosovo's EU bid to be discussed in 20 years"

The Chairman of the German Bundestag Committee for Europe Gunther Kirchbaum was reacting today with restraint to the proclamation of Kosovo's unilateral independence, when he said "it would not be possible to discuss the issue of Kosovo's EU membership for long period of time."

The western officials have made the case of Kosovo's integration into the EU as a guarantee that the troubled province will not cause further instability to the region, and said their recognition of the act, which Serbia sees as illegal, was based on this rationale.

"We are trying to make independent the structures there that are not capable of surviving, which will require an engagement of the EU for years to come," Kirchbaum said.

The issue of Kosovo's joining the EU, according to the Demo-Christian from Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, "should not be considered as yet."

Kirchbaum said that "another 20 years would pass before this matter could be debated."