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Sunday, 17 February 2008, 22:45 GMT

 Kosovo MPs proclaim independence

Kosovo's parliament has unanimously endorsed a declaration of independence from Serbia, in a historic session.

Celebrations went on into the night after Prime Minister Hashim Thaci promised a democracy that respected the rights of all ethnic communities.

Serbia's PM denounced the US for helping create a "false state".

A split later emerged at the Security Council, when Russia said there was no basis for changing a 1999 resolution which handed Kosovo to the UN.

Seven Western countries said it was quite clear the situation had moved on.

Tens of thousands of people had thronged the streets of Kosovo's capital, Pristina, since the morning.

 

We have waited for this day for a very long time... from today, we are proud, independent and free

Hashim Thaci

Kosovo Prime Minister

 

When news came of the declaration in parliament, the centre of the city erupted with fireworks, firecrackers and celebratory gunfire.

Crowds surrounded an independence monument which was unveiled during the evening and signed by Mr Thaci and Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu.

Ethnic Albanians staged noisy celebrations in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, and in Brussels, outside the headquarters of Nato and the European Union.

Hand grenades

The first sign of trouble in Kosovo came in the ethnic Serbian area of the flashpoint town of Mitrovica, where two hand grenades were thrown at international community buildings.

One exploded at a UN court building while the other failed to go off outside offices expected to house the new EU mission.

In Belgrade, demonstrators threw stones and broke windows at the US embassy as riot police tried to fend off a crowd of around 1,000 people.

The protesters, described as gangs of youths, also attacked a McDonald's restaurant, the Serbian government building and the embassy of Slovenia which currently holds the EU presidency.

Several Serbian ministers had travelled to Kosovo to show their support for the ethnic Serbian minority.

Kosovo's 10 Serbian MPs boycotted the assembly session in protest at the declaration.

Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica blamed the US which he said was "ready to violate the international order for its own military interests".

"Today, this policy of force thinks that it has triumphed by establishing a false state," Mr Kostunica said.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7260848.stm

Mi opinión: El 17 de febrero del 2008 Kosovo declaro su independencia, el país festejo con fiestas y fuegos artificiales, sin embargo aun su legitimidad se encentra amenazada pues desde el comienzo de su independencia comenzaron los problemas pues algunos países no están dispuestos a reconocer al nuevo estado, en especial Serbia donde las protestas comenzaron apenas se independizo Kosovo.

 Monday, 25 February 2008, 13:17 GMT

 Russia pledges support to Serbia

Russia has emerged as Serbia's strongest ally

The man tipped to become the next Russian president has vowed his country will "stick to" its support for Serbia in opposing Kosovo's independence.

Deputy PM Dmitry Medvedev was in Belgrade for talks with Serb President Boris Tadic and PM Vojislav Kostunica.

Although its focus is mainly economic, the visit is seen as a sign of support for Serbia's view on Kosovo, the BBC's Bethany Bell in Belgrade says.

Kosovo's declaration of independence sparked protests in Serbia last week.

 "We proceed from the assumption that Serbia is a united country, whose jurisdiction covers the whole of its territory, and we shall stick to this principled stand," Mr Medvedev said during his meeting with Mr Kostunica, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Mr Medvedev's comments, and the timing of his visit, will be seen as evidence that Russia's foreign policy is unlikely to change once serving President Vladimir Putin steps down.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7260848.stm

Mi opinión: Rusia ha tenido siempre una gran influencia en los Balcanes. Desde la Primera Guerra Mundial Rusia ha apoyado a su vecino Serbia, tratando de evitar que los grupos eslavos se separaran del país, y actualmente continua haciendo lo mismo por lo cual  el próximo presidente ruso anuncio que seguirá apoyando a Serbia al no reconocer a Kosovo como un nuevo estado.