Kosovo stärks som stat

BREAKING : Macedonia Adopts Kosovo Resolution

09 October 2008 Skopje _ Macedonia’s Parliament has adopted a resolution recommending the Government to recognise neighbouring Kosovo’s independence from Serbia.

85 out of 120 legislators voted for and one lawmaker cast their ballot against, while 16 abstained for the resolution that came in an initiative of the three main ethnic Albanian parties in the parliament.

The Government might officially recognise Kosovo in the coming hours, reports from local Alsat M TV said.

The crucial support for the resolution came from the ruling centre right VMRO DPMNE, and the opposition Social Democrats.

The opposition complained that although the government is the one that decides on recognising states, the parliament session was summoned without the government relaying its stance and its representatives absent during the discussion.

The parliament rejected amendments from the opposition Social Democrat deputies that the resolution should state that Macedonia will recognise Kosovo once the border demarcation is completed and guarantees Kosovo will use Macedonia's constitutional name.

The resolution concludes that “the peace and stability of the Balkans became directly affected by the resolution of Kosovo’s status” and that by recognising it as an independent state Macedonia will reaffirm its European and Euro-Atlantic orientation.

The resolution was put forward by the 26 legislators from the ruling Democratic Union for Integration, DUI and the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA and New Democracy, ND. Ethnic Albanians consist roughly one quarter of Macedonia’s population.

The resolution was put on an emergency parliament session on late Wednesday after at the United Nations General Assembly Macedonia abstained from voting on Serbia's bid to ask the International Court of Justice's opinion on the legality of Kosovo's independence. Read more: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/13847/

Serbia on Thursday voiced discontent at the latest developments arguing that possible recognition of Kosovo by Macedonia and Montenegro would worsen political relations in the region.

“It would be pity if that happens, we would be very disappointed,” Serbia’s Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told the BBC.

The parliament session on Kosovo also marked the DPA’s return to the parliament. The party set this as a sole precondition for its legislators to end the boycott that they started after the June general elections when they claimed the vote was rigged against them.

Despite the constant pressure from the ethnic Albanian parties for the recognition of Kosovo, the government has so far been reluctant in fear of Serbian retaliation.

“Serbia could cancel the recognition of Macedonia under its constitutional name as a retribution for this move,” political analyst Nenad Markovic told Balkan Insight.

However he adds that this would not have any effect on the ongoing UN-sponsored talks between Skopje and Athens.

Macedonia has strong economic ties with both of its neighbours but Markovic does not expect “anything spectacular” on this field.

The latest opinion polls done in September by the Centre for Research and Policy Making showed divisions in Macedonia regarding recognising Kosovo.

While more than 40 percent of those polled said Macedonia should recognise its independence, 43 percent were against. Only about 11 percent were undecided.