Byrner
01-25-2008, 01:42 AM
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EU countries want Mr Thaci to wait until they are ready
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Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has said a declaration of independence is "an issue of days".
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<span style="font-size: x-small">"There are some procedures we need to respect and some consultations," he told reporters after meeting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Kosovo is still technically a southern province of Serbia, which strongly opposes its independence.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">EU states have asked Kosovo's leadership to wait before a civilian mission can take over from the UN.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">A police and judicial staff of about 1,800 is being prepared to work in tandem with the existing Nato force that went into Kosovo in 1999.
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<span style="font-size: x-small">'Pandora's box'
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<span style="font-size: x-small">The future status of Kosovo is also an important issue in the Serbian presidential election, which goes to a second round
early next month.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">The BBC's Oana Lungescu says the EU wants Hashim Thaci to delay declaring independence until the election is over.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">A European Commission spokeswoman earlier declined to discuss a date.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">"We are in a very sensitive political context in which it is better to resort to diplomatic means than to public statements," she said.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">In his comments to reporters, Mr Thaci repeated earlier statements that a declaration would be made in co-ordination with the European Union and the United States. </span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Russia insists any change in Kosovo's status must have the backing of Belgrade as well as Pristina.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Moscow's new ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, has called on Serbia to resist Western recognition of independence for Kosovo, saying it could open a "Pandora's box".
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Source: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7207266.stm)
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="203">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<div>
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44378000/jpg/_44378652_thaciap_203b.jpg
<div class="cap">
EU countries want Mr Thaci to wait until they are ready
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has said a declaration of independence is "an issue of days".
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">"There are some procedures we need to respect and some consultations," he told reporters after meeting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Kosovo is still technically a southern province of Serbia, which strongly opposes its independence.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">EU states have asked Kosovo's leadership to wait before a civilian mission can take over from the UN.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">A police and judicial staff of about 1,800 is being prepared to work in tandem with the existing Nato force that went into Kosovo in 1999.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">'Pandora's box'
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">The future status of Kosovo is also an important issue in the Serbian presidential election, which goes to a second round
early next month.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">The BBC's Oana Lungescu says the EU wants Hashim Thaci to delay declaring independence until the election is over.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">A European Commission spokeswoman earlier declined to discuss a date.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">"We are in a very sensitive political context in which it is better to resort to diplomatic means than to public statements," she said.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">In his comments to reporters, Mr Thaci repeated earlier statements that a declaration would be made in co-ordination with the European Union and the United States. </span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Russia insists any change in Kosovo's status must have the backing of Belgrade as well as Pristina.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small">Moscow's new ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, has called on Serbia to resist Western recognition of independence for Kosovo, saying it could open a "Pandora's box".
</span>
Source: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7207266.stm)