Boston – Sunday, July 20
Published 2008-02-19 05:16
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A Kosovo Serb cries at a protest yesterday in the ethnically divided northern town of Mitrovica. Protesters took to the streets in key Serb centres across the Balkans yesterday to vent their anger at Kosovo's declaration of independence a day earlier.  A Kosovo Serb cries at a protest yesterday in the ethnically divided northern town of Mitrovica. Protesters took to the streets in key Serb centres across the Balkans yesterday to vent their anger at Kosovo's declaration of independence a day earlier.  
Foto: GETTY IMAGES
 

Nations divide

Kosovo’s independence creates internal strife, int’l standoff

Kosovo faces economic hurdles

 VUCITRN, Kosovo. As Kosovo seeks international recognition of its declaration of independence, its problems go far beyond an electricity grid so unreliable that just keeping the lights on can be a daily struggle.

By virtually every measure, Kosovo joins the family of nations with the dubious distinction of being one of Europe’s poorest.

“Everyone knows it’s going to be hard,” said Alex Anderson, Kosovo project director for the Brussels, Belgium-based International Crisis Group, which keeps tabs on trouble spots in the Balkans.

“No one has the idea that it’s going to be the land of milk and honey overnight.”               

AP
 

BRUSSELS, Belgium. The U.S. and the European Union's biggest powers quickly recognized Kosovo as an independent nation Monday, widening a split with Russia, China and some EU members strongly opposed to letting the territory break away from Serbia.

Ethnic Serbs rallying in northern Kosovo angrily denounced the United States and urged Russia to help Serbia hold on to the territory that Serbs consider the birthplace of their civilization. Protesters also marched in Serbia's capital, and that nation recalled its ambassador to the U.S. to protest American recognition for an independent Kosovo.

Despite clamoring of Serbs to retake Kosovo, Serbia's government has ruled out a military response.

But the dispute is likely to worsen already strained relations between the West and Russia, which is a traditional ally of Serbia and seeks to restore its influence in former Soviet bloc states.

The Kremlin could become less likely to help in international efforts important to the U.S. and its allies, such as pressuring Iran to rein in its nuclear program.

Serbia vowed to fight to the end against U.N. recognition. 

The Associated Press
 
 



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