US voices support for territorial integrity of Kosovo

23/07/2008

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci held a series of meetings in the United States, where President George W Bush reiterated his support for Kosovo's independence.

By Blerta Foniqi-Kabashi for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 23/07/08

US President George W Bush (right) met with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu (centre) and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci in Washington on Monday (July 21st). [Getty Images]

US President George W Bush welcomed Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci to the White House in Washington on Monday (July 21st). The United States is one of the biggest advocates of Kosovo's independence and opposes any division of the state.

"I pledged that the United States will continue to work with those nations that have not recognised an independent Kosovo in order to convince them to do so as quickly as possible," Bush said at a press conference following Monday's meeting. "Kosovo will not be [divided], and the United States will always support this new state."

For his part, Sejdiu said "Kosovo will be a country of democracy, a country for all its citizens. It will have special respect for minorities. We are very interested in having good relations with the Republic of Serbia. Our progress will be with the integration of NATO and the EU."

Thaci expressed appreciation for US support. "The Kosovo government and the Kosovo people will always bow in deep respect to the United States and to the US administration," he said.

Kosovo has always trusted the United States, he said. "We are building democratic Kosovo, and we will economically develop Kosovo."

The summit Monday followed a series of meetings Sejdiu and Thaci had with high-level US officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

"The United States will continue to assist Kosovo as it builds its multiethnic government and its democratic institutions," Rice told reporters after talks with Sejdiu and Thaci on Friday. "More than 40 countries have recognised Kosovo, including over two-thirds of the European Union and NATO and a majority of UN Security Council members."

Also Friday, Rice named US charge d'affaires in Pristina Tina Kaidanow as the first US ambassador to Kosovo.

"This is a historic moment for Kosovo," said Pristina resident Lulzim Morina, who returned to Kosovo after ten years living as a refugee in Germany.