By Tomas A. Granados, Prensa Latina
United Nations : The 15 members of the UN Security Council will be meeting in private Thursday to discuss possible consequences of a unilateral declaration of independence by the Serbian province of Kosovo.
Panamanian ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias, the current Council chair, told press the urgent meeting was requested by Serbia, supported by Russia, one of the five permanent members with the right to veto.
The extraordinary meeting coincides with the announcement that the leaders of the chiefly Albanian Kosovo population are preparing to unilaterally proclaim independence of the currently UN-run territory on February 17.
ó The Council agreed today the meeting should be behind closed-doors, and announced Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jerremic has been invited to attend as observer..
The US and several of its allies in the European Union such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, have declared their willingness to immediately recognize the new Balkan republic.
However, other European Status like Spain and Greece refuse to follow their steps.