A senior U.S. official on Friday rejected Russian claims that the Western-backed declaration of independence left Kosovo destined for partition.
"Independence is a fact. This is a reality. History is only going to move forward," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried in Pristina after his meeting with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu
Serbia's ally Russia strongly opposes the secession of Kosovo from Serbia. Russian ambassador to United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Tuesday Moscow had warned repeatedly that a "unilateral declaration of independence might lead to the de facto partitioning of Kosovo, and this is exactly what is happening there."
In response, Fried said the United States does not believe in partition.
Fried is the first senior U.S. official to visit Kosovo after its unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia on Feb. 17.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said Friday that the security situation in Kosovo is calm and improving.
Local Serb community does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, whose population is predominantly ethnic Albanians. Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo have staged protests since Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
Source: Xinhua
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