Serbian president rejectsbid as ‘illegal’

KOSOVO declared itself a nation yesterday, mounting a brash and historic bid to become an “independent and democratic state”backed by the United States and key European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia and Russia.

    Serbian President Boris Tadic reacted by saying his country will never accept Kosovo's“unilateral and illegal”declaration.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was expected to address the nation and declare Kosovo independence null and void.

Lawmakers in the legislature of the former Serbian province approved the declaration of independence at an extraordinary session yesterday afternoon. It was read out in Albanian, Serbian and English by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci before the approval of state symbols including Kosovo's new national flag and anthem.

Thaci said that Kosovo was an “independent and democratic” state, adding: “From this day onwards,Kosovo is proud, independent and free.”

Serbia's government ruled out any military response as part of a secret “action plan” drafted earlier this week as a response, but warned that it would downgrade relations with any foreign government that recognizes Kosovo's independence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that independence without U.N. approval would set a dangerous precedent for “frozen conflicts” across the former Soviet Union and around the world, pressured the Security Council to intervene.

U.S. President George W. Bush said it was in “Serbia's interest to be aligned with Europe and the Serbian people can know that they have a friend in America.” He also praised Kosovo's government for showing “its willingness and its desire to support Serbian rights in Kosovo.”

Kosovo has formally remained a part of Serbia even though it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since 1999. The province is still protected by 16,000 NATO-led peacekeepers, and the alliance boosted its patrols over the weekend in hopes of discouraging violence. International police, meanwhile, deployed to back up local forces in the tense north.

Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian ?a most moderate or non-practicing Muslims, the rest Roman Catholics ?a and they see no reason to stay joined to the rest of Christian Orthodox Serbia.

The United States and key European powers will meet today to recognize the new nation. (SD-Agencies)