RI in no hurry to recognize Kosovo`s independence: FM

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will not be in a hurry to recognize Kosovo`s independence because it first needs to observe how things in the breakaway Serbian province develop, Foreign Minster Hassan Wirayuda said.

"There is no need for Indonesia or other countries to hurry to recognize Kosovo`s independence," he said here Thursday.

The attitude of not hurrying to recognize Kosovo`s independence should not be construed as ruling out recognition because it only meant that Indonesia would view Kosovo in light of the experience of such countries as Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro which seceded from Yugoslavia earlier.

"We will see whether Kosovo`s declaration of independence will solve the problem, especially the tensions or conflict we hope will not occur. We have all along been encouraging the settlement of the Kosovo problem through dialog and negotiations. We don`t want another conflict," he said.

Wirayuda also said there was no deadline for recognizing Kosovo as Indonesia still wanted to see to what extent independence guaranteed the settlement of the conflict in which Kosovo was involved.

Although Indonesia adhered to the principle of respect for other nations` territorial integrity and national sovereignty, in Kosovo`s case it was noting that within the last 15 years, six to seven Yugoslav provinces had seceded and become independent.

The Kosovo people on February 17 declared their independence and became the sixth country that used to be part of the former Yugoslav federation after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro.

It also became the 193rd independent state in the world although Serbia had stated that Kosovo would never have a seat in the United Nations.(*) END

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