Kosovo parliament plays with fire

EURONEWS (FRANCE) 17/11/05 19:06 CET

 

The parliament in Kosovo has reaffirmed the will of the people of the Serbian province to assert their autonomy by passing a resolution backing full independence. The parliamentary move comes just days before talks brokered by the UN on the future of Kosovo begin. At about the same time, a bomb went off under a truck in a crowded Kosovan Serb market, injuring four people. Serb leaders blame this and other recent attacks on Albanian extremists pushing for freedom for Kosovo by force.

 

International leaders have been trying to warn Kosovo off driving for full independence, as some say this could encourage separatist movements elsewhere in a fragile region. Failure to resolve the issue though remains a thorny problem at the heart of an otherwise peaceful Europe. It could prevent an eventual EU membership deal for Serbia-Montenegro and, until it is resolved, it remains a near war-zone with patrolled frontiers within the EU.