Kosovo celebrates ten years of independence

PRISHTINA, (Patria) - The celebration of the tenth anniversary of independence has concluded in Prishtina. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kosovo has so far been recognized by 116 states. Among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and Russia do not recognize it.

As for the region, Serbia considers it part of its territory. Bosnia and Herzegovina has not recognized Kosovo either, due to the political representatives of Bosnian Serbs, who follow the political stances of official Belgrade.

Al Jazeera reports that numerous foreign officials and guests attended the ceremonial parade of the Kosovo security forces, and a ceremonial session of the Assembly of Kosovo was held on Sunday.

The Speaker of Parliament, Kadri Veseli, stated that he expects the next decade for Kosovo to be a decade of economic transformation.

The Assembly of Kosovo declared Kosovo's independence on February 17, 2008, at 4 PM, guaranteeing protection for all national communities in Kosovo. On the same day, the Assembly also adopted a decision on the new Kosovo flag and coat of arms. Already the next day, February 18, the first international recognitions arrived. Afghanistan was the first to recognize Kosovo as an independent state, and the major European Union countries (France, Great Britain, Germany) announced that they had decided to quickly recognize Kosovo. The United States of America also recognized Kosovo on the same day.

The European Union itself remained divided on the issue of recognizing Kosovo's independence, as Spain strongly opposed it, followed by Romania, Slovakia, and Cyprus. At the same time, violent protests occurred in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia.