Result for Kosovo is independence, Bush vows (Roundup)

Jun 10, 2007, 13:55 GMT

Tirana - Serbia's breakaway province Kosovo would be independent and it should become independent soon, US President George W. Bush said Sunday in Albania.

During a quick visit to Tirana on the penultimate leg of his European tour which included the G8 summit in Germany, which also had Kosovo on the agenda, Bush said that 'the time is now' to resolve the issue.

'I made it clear that ... we need to get moving and that the end result is independence,' he told a press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

Questioned by a reporter, he said he did not have a deadline in mind, but 'whether or not there is going to be endless dialogue on a subject that we have made up our mind about - we believe Kosovo ought to be independent.'

Washington and the West support a plan for Kosovo hammered out by the Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari, who recommended internationally-supervised independence for the province.

Serbia, backed by Russia, adamantly insists on retaining sovereignty over Kosovo, with its Albanian majority which expects independence with growing impatience.

Belgrade officials have been indicating that they would not trade Kosovo even at a cost of moving closer to European Union and NATO membership, but Bush again held the carrot out.

'We want to make sure that Serbia hears that the United States supports their aspirations for closer integration with the West,' he said, raising the prospect of bilateral cooperation and 'potential membership of NATO.'

He also said that Washington supports Albania's bid for NATO membership, but called on the country's feuding leaders to work more closely to push necessary reforms through.

'You're just not accepted into membership ... can't just say we want to join - there are certain standards that are expected to be met,' Bush said.

In Albania 'there needs to be additional political and military reforms, progress against organized crime and corruption' for further integration, he added.

Bush was warmly welcomed by his Albanian hosts, on the history- making first-ever visit to the tiny Balkan country by a sitting US president.

During the six-hour visit, before departing to Bulgaria for an overnight stay and meetings on Monday, Bush was decorated as a 'great ally' and had a Tirana street named after him.

The 'Order of the Flag' medal awarded Bush was an expression of 'profound gratitude for a historic role in protection of freedom, democracy and rights of the Albanian nation,' Albanian President Alfred Moisiu's cabinet said.

Bush was welcomed by people lining the intersections and downtown streets on the journey from Tirana's Nona Teresa (Mother Teresa) airport.

He was also scheduled to meet premiers of Croatia and Macedonia, Ivo Sanader and Nikola Gruevski. Albania, Croatia and Macedonia comprise the Adria-Group with the aim of boosting military cooperation - all three countries are prospective NATO members.

Albania had been deeply isolated under a harsh Communist regime until last decade. Still among the least developed and poorest in Europe, it sees the US as its by far the most important partner.

The US acted decisively during the 1998-1999 Kosovo crisis, leading a military intervention against Yugoslavia to oust Belgrade's security forces from Serbia's province that is mainly populated by ethnic Albanians.

Now Washington is the most powerful advocate of a drive aimed at securing independence for Kosovo, in the central Balkan neighbouring Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.