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Kosovo leaders sign country's constitution Released : Monday, April 07, 2008 10:11 AM PRISTINA, Kosovo-Kosovo's leaders signed the country's new constitution Monday, paving the way for the new country's institutions to take over authority from the United Nations mission. The document guarantees that the rights of minorities in Kosovo will be protected. It is a critical issue, because many of Kosovo's Serbs fear they will not be safe in the newly independent state. The majority of Kosovars are ethnic Albanian. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the constitution was proof of Kosovo's commitment to treat all its citizens equally. "This constitution is a document that guarantees freedom," Thaci said during the signing ceremony. "This constitution creates equal opportunities for all of Kosovo's citizens." Thaci, President Fatmir Sejdiu and international officials gathered in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, for the ceremony. The constitution needs to be approved by the 120-seat assembly. It is expected to come into effect June 15, when the local government is scheduled to take over authority from the U.N. mission, which has been in charge since the end of the war in 1999. Last week the top European Union official in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, accepted the document, saying it provided protection for minorities and was in line with an international settlement that had been proposed for Kosovo. The settlement, aimed at bridging differences between Kosovo and Serbia, was drafted by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari following yearlong negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia last year. The proposed settlement said Kosovo should be a state, but under international supervision to ensure the protection of minority rights and respect for the rule of law. Serbia rejected the Ahtisaari settlement. But its terms are still being followed by international authorities as they guide the new state toward full independence. The EU-led mission has veto power over decisions of the Kosovo authorities that affect the implementation of the settlement. Serbia rejects Kosovo's independence and has vowed to regain sovereignty over it. Serbia's officials hope to avert international recognition of Kosovo's independence and force a renewal of negotiations on its status. Kosovo's statehood was recognized by the United States and most countries in the European Union. But Serbia and its ally Russia have rejected Kosovo's declaration of independence as illegal under international law.
