Albanian on Friday welcomed the UN plan on the final status of Kosovo, believing it will bring an end to the province's status quo of getting nowhere.

"This is no doubt a historical moment for Kosovo, as well as for the whole region," Albanian Foreign Minister Besnik Mustafaj told a press conference, highly praising UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari for his hard work.

The plan, presented in Belgrade and Pristina by Ahtisaari on Friday, stops short of calling for full independence for Kosovo, but allows the breakaway province to have its own flag and anthem.

Serbia has rejected the plan out of hand, saying it would pave the way for Kosovo's eventual independence. Under the plan, Kosovo has the right to make international agreements reserved for sovereign states.

Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu welcomed the plan, saying they were convinced that the plan would lead Kosovo to become an independent state.

Kosovo has been run by the UN and the NATO since 1999 when a NATO military campaign forced Serbian forces to withdraw.

Ethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of Kosovo's population, are demanding independence, while Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo want it to remain inside Serbia.

For years, Albania has been the strongest supporter of Kosovo's independence, although it said it had no territorial ambition over the province.

Source: Xinhua