Thaci urges EU members to recognise Kosovo's independence

29/07/2010

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is urging the five EU member states that have not recognised Kosovo -- Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia -- to revise their stance. Last week's opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the best evidence that Kosovo's declaration of independence is legal, Thaci said on Wednesday (July 28th). "Justifiably, after the ICJ's ruling, the government ... expects that these countries will recognise Kosovo," he added.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Thaci told Pristina daily Kosova Sot that the ICJ ruling effectively ended any notion of special status, autonomy or partition in the Serb-dominated north. "It's a political madness to talk about these ideas after the ICJ's opinion," he said. He reiterated that his government is ready to talk with every legitimate leader but not with Serb parallel structures. (Kosova Sot, Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re, Express, Lajm - 29/07/10)