Kosovo Seeks Full Independence in 2012

Kosovo's parliament has adopted a resolution calling for the international community to permit full independence by the end of this year.

Four years after seceding from Serbia, Kosovo’s parliament has adopted a resolution calling for an end to "internationally supervised" independence at the end of 2012, pledging to meet all obligations needed to reach this goal.

In vote the vote, 83 MPs voted for and 13 against a resolution tabled by Hashim Thaci's ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, at an extraordinary session called on Tuesday.Prime Minister Thaci said adoption of the resolution marked the beginning of a new phase for Kosovo.

“Kosovo enters a new era,” he said, calling on the international community to set the benchmarks and priorities for the work needed to be done in implementing the remaining provisions of the Comprehensive Kosovo Status Settlement Proposal, known as the Ahtisaari Plan.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Since then 86 states, including 22 EU member states and the US, have recognized it. But as part of the independence process, the country has remained under a form of international monitoring.

The group of 25 member states, known as the “Friends of Kosovo”, met last week Vienna, and announced that preparations for winding up these activities will start soon.

The International Steering Group, the body tasked with overseeing Kosovo's supervised independence, has endorsed a twin-track strategy for the beginning of the end of the process, asking for more guarantees from the Kosovo government in such fields as decentralization, community rights, cultural heritage and dealing with the past.

Pieter Feith, the International Civilian Representative in charge of implementation of the Ahtisaari plan, said adoption of the resolution by the Assembly set out the next steps needed to reach the objective. He welcomed signs of a political consensus on beginning constitutional amendments.

“If a national consensus is maintained throughout, this will send a powerful message about the sustainability of the reforms and their implementation, thus enhancing Kosovo’s international reputation and credibility as a modern European state,” he said.

The ISG has reiterated that the Ahtisaari Plan's core principles of strengthening transparent, legitimate local democracy, and respecting community rights and identities, provide the best model for the future of the troubled, Serb-run northern municipalities of Kosovo.

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