POLITICS:  Kosovo Independence - Albania Seeks Tokyo's Help
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TOKYO, Feb 11 (IPS) - During his four-day visit to Tokyo last week,  Albania's first democratically elected prime minister, Sali  Berisha, asked Japan to strengthen economic ties with his country  and support Kosovo's bid for independence from Serbia.
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There was a "whiff of statehood" in the cold air in Kosovo on Friday, according to the Pristina daily Express .Comment
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"The independence of Kosovo is unacceptable for Serbia"  Kosovo's prime minister vowed Thursday to declare independence unilaterally if internationally brokered talks don't 'open a way for us,' staking out a tough position as the latest round of negotiations on the province's future began in Vienna.Officials said a breakthrough was unlikely. Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians continue to demand full independence from Serbia, while the Serbs insist on retaining Kosovo as part of their territory.That deadlock raises the likelihood of a dramatic showdown in December, when 120 days of last-ditch negotiations called by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon expire _ and the international community is confronted with the possibility that Kosovo's Albanians will make a play for statehood on their own. Read more
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PRISTINA, Serbia  - Kosovo appealed to the United States on Monday to set a date for the province's independence from Serbia, saying Russia had blocked its path through the United Nations.
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United Nations special envoy Martti Ahtisaari on Friday handed to Serb authorities his plan for the future of Kosovo that will set the breakaway province on a path to independence.Comment
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In countries worried about their own secessionist movements, the response to Kosovo's declaration of independence has been wary
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Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano has urged U.S. investors to consider Albania for future investments.
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The last time Kosovo declared  independence in 1990 it went unrecognized and ignored. When it  splits from Serbia this weekend, it will have the support of  the West, which sees no way back.
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For Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, a new U.N. proposal opens the door to their long-awaited dream of independence, while prompting Serbia's leaders to warn of secession.
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European Union countries are considering how to respond to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Send us your views.
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Kosovo PM Agim Ceku with Macedonia PM Nikola Gruevski Kosovo's prime minister said Tuesday he is hopeful that talks now under way at the United Nations will soon lead to independence for the Serbian province ...
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Serbia vows to prevent secession; Russia may veto U.N. motion BELGRADE: Serbia's Albanian majority province of Kosovo has been put on the path to independent statehood by an international blueprint that redraws ...Comment
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The Serbian minister for Kosovo said Friday that his government has information that the province's Albanian leadership will declare independence on Feb. 17.
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UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, pictured, has refused to talk of Kosovo's independence, instead urging more talks to reach a compromise over the most pressing issue left over from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.Comment
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After talks over independence break down, Kosovo may unilaterally declare its freedom from Serbia. And despite fears of a regional blowup, there's a limit to what Serbia can do about it
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BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (IPS) - Questions relating to Kosovo's future status  will almost certainly be the key area of focus for diplomats  dealing with the Balkans this year.
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"The sending of the proposed EU mission ... would be an act which jeopardizes the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the constitution of the Republic of Serbia"  BELGRADE, Serbia : Serbia plans to adopt a set of retaliatory measures against Western states if they recognize Kosovo's independence, including the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with the United ... via International Herald Tribune