Protest Kosovo Independence

Russia is convinced that the idea of Kosovo's independence is far-fetched. Nobody had even mentioned it before NATO bombed Yugoslavia in 1999. At that time, the discussion centered on various parameters of autonomy and a change in Yugoslavia's federal structure.

Russia's foreign minister called on Thursday (February 21, 2008) for talks on the status of Kosovo, whose parliament declared independence on February 17, to be resumed.

Tensions have escalated in Belgrade, with thousands of Serbs gathering in the capital to protest against Kosovo's independence. Groups of activists broke into United States and Croatian embassies in protest against the countries' support for Kosovo's secession.

Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow: "Talks on Kosovo's status should be restarted," and warned that the unilateral declaration could have consequences which "could harm Russia's relations with the EU and the United States."

Serbia said on Wednesday(February 20th, 2008) it would utilize all possible political and diplomatic means to maintain the country's territorial integrity in the wake of Kosovo's declaration of independence. "Serbia's internationally recognized borders have been unilaterally violated," Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told a news conference.

(thanks to various pages from http://en.rian.ru/ )

Why is Serbia’s Province of Kosovo so important to Serbs? Consider, first, that Kosovo is the historical heart and religious soul of Serbia. Hundreds of Serbian Orthodox churches, monasteries, and holy sites in Kosovo attest to this. But our full answer would have to include that what is happening in Kosovo today is of far reaching importance for the entire world.