Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts he has had regarding the declaration of independence of Kosovo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7387/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On 17 February, the Kosovo Assembly adopted a resolution which declared Kosovo to be "a democratic, secular and multi-ethnic republic, guided by the principles of non-discrimination and equal protection under the law". It undertook to implement the obligations set out in the Ahtisaari proposal for a final status settlement, emphasising "those that protect and promote the rights of communities and their members". It invited the international community to maintain international presences established in Kosovo under UNSCR 1244, and to deploy the international civilian presence to supervise implementation of Ahtisaari, and the EULEX KOSOVO rule of law mission.

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 February, EU Foreign Ministers noted inter alia Kosovo's commitment to accept its obligations under the Ahtisaari plan, and welcomed the continued presence of the international community in Kosovo under UNSCR 1244. The Council reiterated the EU's readiness to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the Western Balkans region, including through the establishment of the EULEX KOSOVO rule of law mission and the appointment of an EU Special Representative in Kosovo. It confirmed that the EU will continue to cooperate with the UN, KFOR, OSCE and other international actors in order to preserve stability in the region. While reiterating the EU's commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and Helsinki Final Act, the Council underlined that "in view of the conflict of the 1990s and the extended period of international administration under UNSCR 1244, Kosovo constitutes a sui generis case". The Council also noted that "Member States will decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo."

I welcome these conclusions, which demonstrate our capacity as a Union to respond in a clear and coherent way to developments in Kosovo. I believe that the question of Kosovo's future status and stability is an issue on which Europe must lead.

Ireland will play its full part. We will contribute members of the Garda to the EULEX KOSOVO rule of law mission. On the basis of the clear and positive advice of the Attorney General on the continuation of UN Resolution 1244, we will maintain our significant presence in the UN-mandated KFOR international security presence. And we are ready to support the future economic development of Kosovo.

We regret that the years of status talks failed to produce an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. A new UN Security Council resolution clarifying the position would of course have been preferable to the current situation. But the clear reality is that Serbia effectively lost Kosovo through its own actions in the 1990s. The legacy of the killings of thousands of civilians in Kosovo and the ethnic cleansing of over a million made the restoration of Serbian dominion in Kosovo unthinkable. As the European Council agreed in December, the status quo in Kosovo was inherently unstable. More than 90% of the population wants independence, and this is supported by our major partners in the EU and beyond, many of whom have already recognised Kosovo.

Taking account of all of the circumstances, I will shortly recommend to the Cabinet that Ireland should recognise Kosovo's independence. I know that the independence of Kosovo is painful for Serbia, and difficult to accept. But I hope that in time Serbia and Kosovo can begin to put their tragic shared past behind them and move toward a brighter future together in Europe.