Burns: U.S. wants Kosovo independent this year

The United States strongly backs the proposal that Kosovo gains independence in 2007, Nicholas Burns said Tuesday. The U.S. under secretary of state also told reporters his country strived to maintain a whole, united and peaceful Bosnia-Herzegovina. Burns: U.S. wants Kosovo independent this year Underscoring that ever since World War I, Europe has been in the focus of the U.S. foreign policy, Burns set out that the Washington's attention in Europe is now directed primarily at Kosovo. In a part of Europe, primarily in the Balkans, Caucasus and the zone around the Black and Caspian seas, much remains to be done in order to achieve stability equal to that in the western part of the continent, Burns told the Free Europe Radio. According to him, Washington supports countries that are trying to resist the growing Russian pressure, such as Georgia and Moldova, as well as NATO allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In that sense, we are trying to develop productive relations with Russia, although we differ on numerous issues, Burns set out, noting that, however, in the past few years the U.S. policy has shifted its focus from Europe to the Middle East. "Project of NATO state in Kosovo doomed to failure" Minister of Education Zoran Loncar has assessed that the United States "are not giving up on creating the first NATO state in Kosovo-Metohija," pointing out that this project is doomed to failure. "Although new negotiations have not even begun, U.S. officials keep announcing that Kosovo will be independent by the end of the year," Loncar said on Tuesday, reacting to the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Nicholas Burns. "It is evident that the United States insist on setting up the first NATO state in Kosovo-Metohija," Loncar said. "Such policy represents a major obstacle for the possibility that a compromise solution for the organization of the province be found in the negotiation process," he added, according to Tanjug news agency. "In any case, the project of setting up a NATO state is doomed to failure, since one cannot even imagine that the United States Security Council might support the existence of such a thing, and that the first NATO country could ever be on an equal footing with other UN member states," Loncar said.

Burns: U.S. wants Kosovo independent this year

Underscoring that ever since World War I, Europe has been in the focus of the U.S. foreign policy, Burns set out that the Washington's attention in Europe is now directed primarily at Kosovo.

In a part of Europe, primarily in the Balkans, Caucasus and the zone around the Black and Caspian seas, much remains to be done in order to achieve stability equal to that in the western part of the continent, Burns told the Free Europe Radio.

According to him, Washington supports countries that are trying to resist the growing Russian pressure, such as Georgia and Moldova, as well as NATO allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

In that sense, we are trying to develop productive relations with Russia, although we differ on numerous issues, Burns set out, noting that, however, in the past few years the U.S. policy has shifted its focus from Europe to the Middle East.

"Project of NATO state in Kosovo doomed to failure"

Minister of Education Zoran Lončar has assessed that the United States "are not giving up on creating the first NATO state in Kosovo-Metohija," pointing out that this project is doomed to failure.

"Although new negotiations have not even begun, U.S. officials keep announcing that Kosovo will be independent by the end of the year," Lončar said on Tuesday, reacting to the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.

"It is evident that the United States insist on setting up the first NATO state in Kosovo-Metohija," Lončar said.

"Such policy represents a major obstacle for the possibility that a compromise solution for the organization of the province be found in the negotiation process," he added, according to Tanjug news agency.

"In any case, the project of setting up a NATO state is doomed to failure, since one cannot even imagine that the United States Security Council might support the existence of such a thing, and that the first NATO country could ever be on an equal footing with other UN member states," Lončar said.