President Basescu to Romanian diplomats: Romania will not recognize Kosovo as an independent state

Romania will not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and Belgrade and Pristina should pursue negotiations, Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Wednesday, thus re-affirming the Bucharest stand on the issue. He made the statement at an annual reunion of Romanian Ambassadors. His statement comes several days after the German Foreign minister demanded EU countries which have not yet recognized the independence of Kosovo to follow the majority of EU.

The President argued that a consultative stand of the International Court of Justice on the issue was not made following a thorough judgment of the case.

Basescu’s statement comes after German Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said during a trip to Kosovo several days ago that 22 countries have recognized the independence of Kosvo and another five – Romania, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia were hesitating to do so. He urged the five that following an International Court decision to follow the „clear majority”. He said the concerns of some EU member countries that the independence of the Albanian-majority region would become a precedent were not founded.

Westerwelle had previously warned that Serbia had little chance to join the EU unless it adopted a cooperating attitude towards Kosovo.

Romania has its own opinion in this regard, which was re-affirmed by Foreign minister Teodor Baconschi on Wednesday. Unless Western Balkans country will have a clearer accession prospect, especially Serbia, or if the fatigue of EU enlargement will remain, there is a risk of tensions and lack of stability in the region.