Portugal and Romania refuse to recognize Kosovo unilateral independenceDecember 15, 2007 - 15:10 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union is not ready to recognize unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said."The answer is no" on immediate recognition of Kosovo independence, said Socrates, who presided at the summit. "What we do now is undertake negotiations in the United Nations Security Council." The EU leaders agreed to send a 1,800-strong police and security mission to Kosovo to replace the current United Nations administrative mission. Romania also refrains from recognizing Kosovo's unilateral independence. "Proceeding from the principle of territorial integrity we can't recognize unilateral proclamation of independence," said Romanian President Traian Basescu. Kosovo has been a UN protectorate since 1999, when NATO's bombing of the former Yugoslavia ended a war between Serb forces and ethnic Albanians. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |