Kosovo Independence Splits EU

Some fear feisty new nation could inspire separatists elsewhere
By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 18, 2008 6:11 AM CST
Kosovo Independence Splits EU
Kosovars celebrate at the statue reading newborn marking declaration of independence in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. Kosovo's parliament declared the disputed territory a nation on Sunday, mounting a historic bid to become an "independent and sovereign state" backed by the U.S. and key...   (Associated Press)

A meeting of EU officials today to discuss Kosovo is likely to reveal deep-seated divisions within the European Union. While Britain, France and Germany are expected to recognize the newly independent Kosovo immediately, other states like Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Spain worry about the message such recognition will send to their own restive separatists, BBC reports.

Outside the EU, the world has shown a starkly divided response to the fledgling state. China and Russia joined Serbia in denouncing what Serbia calls a "false state," while the US will likely join its European allies in recognizing Kosovo. At an emergency United Nations meeting last night, Western powers warded off a Russian bid to block Kosovo independence. (More Kosovo stories.)

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