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Kosovo to declare independence today: PM

Kosovo Albanian men pose holding an upside-down US flag next to a giant Albanian flag painted on the edge of a road to Pristina on Friday. PHOTO: AFP

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci confirmed yesterday that the province would declare its independence from Serbia today, the day when the "will of the citizens of Kosovo" would be implemented.

"Tomorrow will be a day of calm, of understanding, and of state engagements for the implementation of the will of the citizens of Kosovo," said Thaci, after meeting religious leaders from the predominantly ethnic Albanian province.

Expectations that independence would be declared today have been running high, but Thaci's comments marked the first top-level confirmation that the long awaited break with Serbia would take place this weekend.

Thaci appealed for celebrations to unfold with "dignity ... on the day of the declaration of independence, on the big day, on the historic day ... a day of thanksgiving for a sovereign and independent Kosovo."

Kosovo inched closer to its historic declaration of independence with a growing sense of excitement among its people and the EU launching a police and judicial mission to smooth the birth of the world's newest state.

Serbia, backed by Russia, has said that the split -- supported by the US and most major European powers, nine years after Kosovo was put under interim UN administration -- would be illegal.

The leader of Kosovo's Serb minority, Milan Ivanovic, said that the EU police and justice mission -- designed to help Kosovo's transition to sovereignty -- was a form of "occupation."

Without giving their sources, several newspapers in Pristina reported yesterday that the declaration would come around 3pm today to the strains of Ode to Joy, the EU anthem.

Street parties and fireworks would follow, while the NATO-lead Kosovo Force that has been deployed in Kosovo since 1999 -- when the province was put under UN interim administration -- is expected to be out in force to ensure security.

"Everything is pointing to Sunday," a source close to Thaci's government said earlier in the day, as Serbia all but gave up hope of hanging onto the province it sees as the cradle of its culture and Serbian Orthodox religion.

The EU yesterday approved the launch of a 2,000-strong police and justice mission for Kosovo.

The supervisory mission was formally endorsed at midnight after none of the EU's 27 member states objected to an operation plan for the mission before an agreed deadline, a diplomatic source said.

"The [EU] Council has decided to launch the European Union rule of law mission in Kosovo," the EU said in a statement, adding that the operation would take over powers from the existing UN mission in the territory after a 120-day transition period.

The statement also named Dutchman Pieter Feith as the EU civilian administrator in Kosovo. He is expected to take over from UN supremo Joachim Ruecker in June.

The EU rule of law mission will chiefly mentor and advise Kosovo police and judicial authorities but will have some executive powers, notably in the fight against organized crime, corruption and the hunt for war criminals.

EU foreign ministers will discuss their response to Kosovo's decision tomorrow.

Diplomats said up to 20 EU countries were likely to recognize the new state rapidly, but at least six -- Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania -- have indicated they will not do so immediately.
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