WASHINGTON — The United States and major European powers formally recognized Kosovo on Monday, but fears of fueling secessionist movements around the world undercut their efforts to project a broader front of support for what they regard as Europe's newest state.
The 27 members of the European Union were unable to agree in a lengthy meeting on a joint approach to the tiny Balkan state, which declared independence from Serbia on Sunday. Instead, foreign ministers declared it was up to each member nation to decide for itself.
France, Germany, Britain and Italy were among 17 EU members that signaled they would grant recognition. But Spain and Greece, along with Slovakia, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria, said they would not, citing the danger of encouraging other breakaway regions.
"This does not recognize international law," said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose country is worried about secessionist movements of its own.
The U.S. had for years considered independence the only realistic path because of the mistreatment of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority by the Serbian government. It recognized Kosovo in a statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a letter from President Bush to Kosovo's president, in which he urged Kosovo to protect its Serb minority.
"I support your embrace of multi-ethnicity as a principle of good governance and your commitment to developing accountable institutions in which all citizens are equal under the law," Bush wrote to President Fatmir Sejdiu.
He told reporters in Tanzania today, "History will prove this will be a correct move to bring peace to the Balkans."
As Europe chose sides, so did other nations around the world, their decisions based largely on how they view their own minorities.
Russia, China, and the Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan were among those that sided with Serbia against immediate recognition. Afghanistan, Turkey, Australia, Albania and Taiwan signaled that they would support it.
Holding back wider international support were fears of inflaming separatist movements large and small in many parts of the world: the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia, among Basques in Spain, the Trans-Dniester in Moldova, the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, Turkish areas of Cyprus, the Tamil Tiger movement in Sri Lanka and many others.
