President Basescu, Parliament: Romania will not recognize Kosovo (Feb 19, 2008)

Feb 19, 2008 (Romania Report)

(Initially published in http://www.romania-report.ro/)

Romanian President Traian Basescu said following talks with parliamentary party leaders on Monday that Romania would not recognize the independence of Kosovo. He said Romania is consistent with its prevous commitments on the matter. Later on Monday, the two Chambers of the Romanian Parliament met in joint session and voted a motion against Kosovo recongnition (357 to 27).

According to Basescu, Romania would withdraw its diplomatic mission to Pristina, the capital of the self-proclaimed Kosovo republic. As far as what will happen to the Romanian gendarmes who ar part of the UN mission to Kosovo, they will remain in the territory, according to Basescu.

He also said that Romanian authorities remained silent on the issue so far because it was so agreed with the other EU member states.

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Monday invited all parliamentary party leaders for talks on Kosovo's declaration of independence. Basescu said at at the beginning of the meeting that the unilateral declaration of independence in Kosovo was an act seen by Romania as "illegal". The meeting was attended by PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

The talks were attended by the leaders of all parliamentary parties, including those of national minorities. They come as a Hungarian Democrats (UDMR) leader has urged Romanian officials to acknowledge the new proclaimed state in the Balkans. In response, opposition party leaders have summoned the government to dismiss all Hungarian Democrats representatives holding public offices in the government.

Later on Monday, the two Chambers of the Romanian Parliament met in joint session and voted a motion against Kosovo recongnition (357 to 27). The ethnic Hungarians MPs voted in favour of the independence of Kosovo.

The motion said that Romania’s Parliament took note with deep distress about the Feb 18 Pristina authorities unilateral proclamation of Kosovo’s independence. Romania’s Parliament afirmed that it does not recognize the self proclaimed independence of Kosovo, because it does not meet the international law framework requirements.

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Serbia denounced Kosovo move at UN. Serbia on Monday told the United Nations Security Council that the “illegal” declaration of independence by Kosovo “annuls international law, tramples upon justice and enthrones injustice”.

The envoy of Russia, which had backed Serbia’s request for Monday’s Security Council session, said Moscow continued to recognize Serbia within what he described as its internationally recognized borders.

Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Slovakia -- which fear Kosovo's move could encourage separatists elsewhere -- already have said they will not recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.

The U.S., France, Britain, Turkey, Albania already announced they recognize the self-proclaimed Kosovo state.



Romania Report