Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has said the Government will recognise Kosovo to help bring stability to the Balkans.
"We are faced with a decision to recognise Kosovo. My intention is to do so," he said. "Serbia effectively lost Kosovo through its own actions in the 1990s.
"The bitter legacy of the killings of thousands of civilians in Kosovo and the ethnic cleansing of many more has effectively ruled out any restoration of Serbian dominion in Kosovo."
EU ministers are set to meet in Brussels tomorrow to try and agree a position.
Most of the 27 EU countries are likely to recognize Kosovo rapidly but at least six - Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania - have indicated they will not do so immediately.
Mr Ahern said the status quo could not continue in Kosovo and said he would recommend to ministers that Ireland formally recognise the new country.
"We need to move on and deliver on a permanent settlement. I don't think we can continue leaving matters as they are," he told RTÉ Radio.
Fine Gael's foreign affairs spokesman Billy Timmins and
Labour's European affairs spokesman Joe Costello also welcomed Kosovo's declaration.
However, Mr Costello said clarification was needed on the "precise status" of the nearly 300 Irish troops stationed in Kosovo as part of a 16-000 strong Nato force.
"While there was a UN agreement on the establishment of the peacekeeping force of which Ireland forms a major part, there is now no UN agreement on Kosovo's independence," he said. "There must be a UN mandate before Ireland can participate in any military mission abroad."
7 comments:
A great day has come and i am proud 2 say i know Albanians from Kosova and Albania proper great people,and Kosovars long deserve peace of mind happiness and freedom 2 build a better life for themselves and their families.
I wish Ireland would just hurry up and REGONIZE KOSOVA as Independent.
It's about time to recognize the historical right of Kosova to have its destiny fulfilled-That is full independence. Kosova never was a Serbian province. It was there, since the times of birth of European civilization, a very distinct Dardanian/llyrian identity. Always populated by Dardanias who, although under constant pressure of forcefully migration by Serbian shovinism, Tito's Yugoslavia & Milloshevic's Serbia, still make up 92% of the population. Serbs always have been a minority there. We know that Serbs appeared in Balkans (then llyria) only by the 6th Century AD. They have always been a minority and 'the story' of Kosova being the Heartland of Serbia is just a pure Serbian nationalist fantasy. Facts Speak Louder Than Words and Serbian’s Lies Will Collapse by Themselves. Serbs always have been considered as oppressors there, not just by Albanian majority, but also by other ethnic groups to. Serbs just occupied Kosova during the rise of the Serbian nationalism early 20th century from Ottomans, who by then were loosing the Balkans after 500 years of occupation. Now Kosova should be Free!
I didn't know the Irish had any troops in any hot spots. I need to read the news more often.
FREEDOM........what a powerful word.
We Kosovars love the Irish, you have also been divided and oppressed. Thank you for supporting our new nation.
Now if only the Irish would support the oppressed on their own island. Britain recognizes the new Islamic terrorist republic of Kosovo and yet John Bull continues to keep his boot on the necks of Paddy in Ulster.
Ireland United Gaelic and Free!
26+6=1
hey mister get ur facts straight my friends are not islamic terrorists stop wit the serb propaganda here.
And yes i wish ireland to be whole again but it needs to be done peacefully this time no more death,
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