Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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February 18, 2008

President Bush Reaffirms US Support for Kosovo Independence
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B47AED:A6F02AD83191E1603C53929D8F06F468B3350E090FE6A6E8& But US president
stops short of formally recognizing Kosovo statehood, saying US will
be guided by UN's blueprint for territory





President Bush (file)U.S. President George Bush has reaffirmed his
support for Kosovo's independence.

The president told a U.S. television interviewer on NBC's Today Show,
"The Kosovars are now independent." But he stopped short of formally
recognizing Kosovo statehood, saying the United States will be guided
by a United Nations' blueprint for the territory.

Mr. Bush spoke on a trip to Africa Monday, as deeply divided European
Union foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss Kosovo's
declaration of independence.

All 27 EU member-countries have endorsed dispatching a police and
administrative mission to Kosovo to bolster its stability. But Spain,
Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia and Romania say they will not recognize
Kosovo's statehood at this time. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said
Germany will wait for the outcome of the Brussels meeting before
acting.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia Sunday and sought diplomatic
recognition from governments worldwide.

Serbia and its traditional ally Russia oppose Kosovo's independence.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that Kosovo's independence could spark
secessionist movements elsewhere in Europe. China has also voiced
opposition.

Kosovo has been under United Nations' administration since 1999, when
NATO air strikes halted Belgrade's crackdown on ethnic Albanian
separatists and drove Belgrade's security forces from the province.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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