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Split EU meets to debate Kosovo EU splits on Kosovo recognition
(about 2 hours later)
EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to seek a joint position on Kosovo's independence declaration. European Union foreign ministers have failed to forge a joint position on Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia.
While the major European powers are widely expected to recognise Kosovo's independence from Serbia, several other countries have strong reservations. While France confirmed that it would recognise independence, as expected, several member states led by Spain made clear their legal concerns.
US President George W Bush said "the Kosovars are now independent", but that recognition of Kosovo would be guided by a UN-supported plan. US President George W Bush said Kosovo's people were "independent" but stepped short of formal recognition.
Thousands of Kosovo Serbs protested on Monday against the declaration. Russia has backed Serbia in its refusal to recognise Kosovo's secession.
About 10,000 students protested in Belgrade on Monday, and thousands of the city's taxi-drivers went on strike in protest at the declaration of independence, while thousands of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo's enclaves also rallied.
See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown
In the divided town of Mitrovica some chanted "This is Serbia" while others carried banners appealing for help from Russia, which has opposed Kosovo's independence. On Sunday, Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians celebrated the declaration with fireworks late into the night.
On Sunday, Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians had celebrated with fireworks late into the night. Serbian security forces were driven out of Kosovo in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of ethnic Albanian separatists.
'Blueprint' The province has been under United Nations administration and Nato protection since then.
Mr Bush, speaking in Tanzania during an Africa tour said the UN plan drawn up by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari "is our blueprint forward". 'Many doubts'
Sunday's declaration said Kosovo would be built in accordance with the plan, which outlines several limits on independence including an international presence and provision for the protection of the Serb minority. Sunday's declaration by the Kosovo parliament said independence would be built in accordance with the UN plan drawn up by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Kosovo Serbs turned out to protest on Monday Mitrovica saw a big protest by Kosovo Serbs on Monday
"We'll watch to see how the events unfold today. The Kosovars are now independent," Mr Bush said in an interview with NBC News. This outlines several limits on independence including an international presence and provision for the protection of the Serb minority.
In Brussels the chairman of the EU meeting, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said he understood "many of the member states will recognise" Kosovo. Mr Bush, speaking in Tanzania during an Africa tour, said the plan would be the "blueprint forward".
His British and French colleagues insisted Kosovo was a unique case and called for EU unity on the issue, the BBC's Oana Lungescu reports. One of the first states which recognised Kosovo was Afghanistan which referred to "the right of sovereignty".
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband described Kosovo as a "unique situation which deserves a unique response". In Brussels, the EU presidency announced after a day of intense talks between foreign ministers that member countries were free to decide individually whether to recognise Kosovo's independence.
"I think it's very important that we recognise that all of the countries of the Western Balkans are European countries and therefore it's critical that Europe shows real leadership in how it ensures that peace and stability are the order of the day," he said. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said after the meeting that Paris would recognise Kosovo's independence.
But Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain would not recognise Sunday's declaration because it "does not respect international law". The issue exposed major splits within the EU, the BBC's Oana Lungescu reports.
I understand many EU members will recognise Kosovo Dimitrij RupelSlovenian Foreign Minister class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7250070.stm">Anger in Serbia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7244538.stm">Legal arguments Spanish Minister for Europe Alberto Navarro told the BBC he was frustrated that the future of Kosovo was being decided by the world's big powers in breach of international law, and said he feared it would boost separatism.
Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia have also expressed anxiety about the signal that recognition might send to separatists. I think many people have many doubts about the international legality of what it is going on Alberto NavarroSpanish Minister for Europe class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7250070.stm">Anger in Serbia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7244538.stm">Legal arguments
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country, which has been predicted to back Kosovo independence, would not declare its position on Monday. "What I say as a European is that I'm really frustrated that the future of Kosovo has been decided in Washington and to some extent in Moscow, and not in Europe," he added.
"The aim is to have a platform of unity within the EU, on which each member state can act," she said. "...I think many people have many doubts about the international legality of what it is going on about this declaration of independence."
Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia also expressed anxiety about the signal that recognition might send to separatists.
UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband had said it was critical for the EU to show leadership and end the cycle of violence in the Balkans.
Together with France, Germany and Italy, Britain insists Kosovo is a unique case, not a precedent, our correspondent adds.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said her country was seeking a "platform of unity within the EU" and would not declare its position on Monday.
The EU has already agreed to send about 2,000 police, justice and civil administration officials to oversee Kosovo and help develop the province's institutions.The EU has already agreed to send about 2,000 police, justice and civil administration officials to oversee Kosovo and help develop the province's institutions.
Russian opposition 'False state'
A split emerged at the UN Security Council on Sunday when Russia said Kosovo's declaration should be null and void. Russia's parliament passed a motion on Monday condemning the declaration of independence.
KOSOVO PROFILE Population about two millionMajority ethnic Albanian; 10% SerbUnder UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 19992,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independenceNato to stay to provide security Full text: Kosovo declarationIn pictures: CelebrationsKOSOVO PROFILE Population about two millionMajority ethnic Albanian; 10% SerbUnder UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 19992,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independenceNato to stay to provide security Full text: Kosovo declarationIn pictures: Celebrations
Russia's UN ambassador said there was no basis for changing a 1999 security council resolution on Kosovo's status - which hands Kosovo to the UN. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia can block Kosovo's entry into the organisation as a sovereign state and it said on Sunday that Kosovo's declaration should be null and void.
But seven Western states including the United States, the UK, Belgium and France issued a statement saying the situation had moved on. Serbia's interior ministry filed criminal charges on Monday against Kosovo Albanian leaders instrumental in proclaiming independence.
Russia has indicated that Western recognition of an independent Kosovo could have implications for the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. It accused Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and two others of proclaiming a "false state" on Serbian territory.
China expressed its "deep concern" about Kosovo's declaration, urging it to reopen talks with Serbia. Chanting and playing music, students marched in Belgrade under a huge banner reading "Kosovo is a part of Serbia and Serbia is a part of the world".
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on all sides to keep to their commitments and refrain from violence. The scenes were in stark contrast to riots that took place in the capital a few hours earlier when a few hundred, mainly football hooligans, went on the rampage clashing with police and stoning embassies, the BBC's Nick Hawton reports.
A second emergency session is due to be held later on Monday. class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYThis is an ugly victory for demographic warfareSEQ, London class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4305">Send us your comments
Violence Some acts of violence were reported in Kosovo itself after Sunday's declaration.
There has been some unrest following the independence declaration. A hand grenade thrown at a UN court building in the flashpoint town of Mitrovica caused slight damage and a UN car was reported to have been destroyed in the nearby village of Zubin Potok. A hand grenade thrown at a UN court building in the divided town of Mitrovica, and a UN car was reported to have been destroyed in the nearby village of Zubin Potok.
HAVE YOUR SAYUnfortunately today Kosovo and Serbia are to become two dispensable chess-pieces of EU/NATO and RussiaMat, Ljubljana, SloveniaSend us your commentsIn Belgrade, clashes between gangs of youths and riot police went on into the early hours of Monday morning.
Demonstrators broke windows at the US embassy and also attacked the Serbian government building and the embassy of Slovenia which currently holds the EU presidency.
Meanwhile, Serbian authorities issued criminal charges against Kosovo leaders for "organising the proclamation of a false state on Serbian territory."
The Serbian government has called for a mass protest rally against the Kosovo declaration later in the week.
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In the divided town of Mitrovica some chanted "This is Serbia" while others carried banners appealing for help from Russia, which has opposed Kosovo's independence.