http://en.rian.ru/world/20080204/98356616.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti February 4, 2008 Kosovo set to declare independence in February BELGRADE - Kosovo will declare independence in February, the breakaway Serb province's president, prime minister and parliament speaker said on Monday after a meeting in Pristina with Albania's foreign minister. "Parliament will declare independence in cooperation and coordination with the European Union member states, the international administration in Kosovo and the U.S.," Kosovo Albanian-language mass media quoted parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi as saying. Presidential polls in Serbia on Sunday gave the country's incumbent pro-European President Boris Tadic a narrow victory over pro-Moscow nationalist Tomislav Nikolic. Russia backs Belgrade's desire to see the breakaway southern province of Kosovo remain a part of Serbia, while many EU countries and the U.S. would like to see Kosovo independent. Kosovo has been a UN protectorate since 1999, when a NATO bombing of Belgrade ended a bloody war between ethnic Albanian and Serb forces. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/02/04/russia_to_block_kosovos_un_ nod/8929/ United Press International February 4, 2008 Russia to block Kosovo's U.N. nod MOSCOW - Russia said it would "use every opportunity" to block U.N. acceptance of Kosovo's imminent independence. "Russia should use every opportunity at its disposal to block Kosovo's admission to the U.N. as an independent state," said Konstantin Kosachyov, head of Russia's international affairs committee. Kosachyov said a backing of the move by Kosovo at the Council of Europe would suggest the organization was taking "a political stance," which he described as "inappropriate," RIA Novosti relayed Monday. The declaration of independence also would impact Russia's "developing relations with other self-proclaimed republics," he said. On Sunday, Serbia narrowly re-elected the pro-European incumbent president, Boris Tadic, and analysts suggest his victory would signal an imminent declaration of independence from Kosovo. Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
