Hooray! Just what we need, a brand new Muslim state: Kosovo.
Kosovo adopts new constitution with little fanfare
David Charter, Europe Correspondent
Kosovo’s Government adopted its new constitution yesterday in a low-key ceremony intended to mark the handover of UN administrative power to Pristina and the EU.
The move was intended to cement the country’s independence and to complete the break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the conflicts of the 1990s. But Belgrade, backed by Moscow, insisted that it would never recognise Kosovo’s breakaway status, heightening fears of partition between the Serb-dominated north and the ethnic Albanians who make up about 95 per cent of the population.
In reality, a full handover of UN authority could take many months and it is expected to remain a key player in the Serb half of the northern city of Mitrovica, where the EU has struggled to establish a presence.
President Tadic of Serbia said he viewed the proclamation of the Kosovan constitution as illegal. “Serbia views Kosovo as its southern province,” he said. “It will defend its integrity by peaceful means, using diplomacy, without resorting to force.”