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Kosovo is celebrating 10 years of independence from Serbia in two-day festivities around the country.
Saturday’s events will conclude with an open-air evening concert in Pristina headlined by Rita Ora, a British singer of Kosovo origin.
Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians.
Kosovo is recognized by 117 countries, including the U.S. and most Western powers, and has joined about 200 international organizations.
Serbia, which for centuries has considered Kosovo the cradle of its civilization, still sees it as part of its own territory and has the support of Russia and China. Five European Union members also don’t recognize Kosovo’s independence
SOURCE:
https://www.dailysabah.com/balkans/2018/02/17/kosovo-celebrates-10-years-of-independence-from-serbia
Categories: Europe, Europe and Australia, European Union, Serbia
When I was in Kosovo (1999 – 2002) I used to solve the world’s problems with the then Catholic Bishop of Kosovo over some cups of Turkish coffee. We both agreed that the solution would be if both Serbia and Kosovo join the EU. They could then settle their differences on equal brotherly footings. Also Kosovo’s population could work in the EU and send their money home, as many have done in the past and do even now. In Switzerland the population of Albanian speakers (mainly from Kosovo) is about 180’000. Many of them have Swiss passports by now. They are a hard working population.