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Tiny Nation Marks 1st Anniversary

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The Associated Press

Published: February 18, 2009

PRISTINA - Jubilant ethnic Albanians poured into the streets Tuesday to celebrate the first anniversary of Kosovo's independence from Serbia, as nationalist Serbian lawmakers joined their ethnic kin in northern Kosovo to try to undermine the tiny country.

The twin moves highlighted the division that has plagued Kosovo and threatens to split it along ethnic lines. It also underscored the challenge Kosovo's authorities face in asserting control over areas where Serbs live.

In the capital of Pristina, thousands of people sang, blared traditional music, and waved flags and banners that read "Happy Birthday Kosovo!" The mostly ethnic Albanian territory declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008.

In Serbia, President Boris Tadic was quick to dismiss Kosovo's statehood.

"Kosovo is not a country," Tadic said in a statement, pledging not to recognize the independence of its former province. But he dispelled fears of a new conflict over Kosovo, saying Serbia will defend its "legitimate rights by legal and diplomatic means, not force."

Serbia considers Kosovo part of its territory and has vowed to block its quest for international recognition. So far, 54 countries, including the United States and many European Union nations, have recognized Kosovo but that's just half the number that Prime Minister Hashim Thaci had predicted a year ago.

Tensions were high, however, in the ethnically divided north, home to most of Kosovo's minority Serbs.

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