"Kosovo's independence opens Pandora's box and re-opens wounds in the countries that emerged after the USSR decline. Kosovo is an urgent topic in at least six states: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Ukraine and Russia. Some of them hope for the United States or the European Union, Now, they can incline to Moscow, which can either encourage separatism on the territory of its neighbors or help them to maintain territorial integrity for a certain price," El Pais newspaper reports.

The Moldavian government expressed "deep concerns" yesterday. "Unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence is a serious destabilizing factor in Europe and a dangerous stimulus for separatist movements in all conflict zones," it said in a statement.

Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili said he will rebuff any attempt to recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.