By RIA Novosti
Warsaw : Warsaw is likely to recognize the sovereignty of Serbia’s breakaway province of Kosovo, Poland’s parliamentary speaker told journalists on Sunday.
“I believe that Poland will be among those states to recognize the independence of Kosovo, guided, in principle, by the fact that no one has found an effective way to bring together two mortal ethnic enemies,” Bronislaw Komorowski told journalists.
Poland’s stance, he went on, was that of the majority of EU member states.
Kosovo’s parliament was convened for an emergency session at noon (11 a.m. GMT).
“We have to take decisions on the future of our nation,” Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters.
Celebrations were going on in Pristina, the capital of the province, and in many other cities in the Albanian-dominated region as the long-awaited unilateral declaration of independence loomed.
The U.S. and many European countries have said they are ready to recognize Kosovo. Russia, among other states, remains opposed to any unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina, saying it would subvert “all the foundations of international law.”
Any Polish recognition of Kosovo would undoubtedly add to friction between Moscow and Warsaw.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia may have to retarget some of its rockets at the missile defense system that the U.S. is planning to deploy in Central Europe.
Washington wants to place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar in the neighboring Czech Republic, purportedly to counter a missile threat from Iran and other “rogue” states. Russia has fiercely opposed the plans, saying they threaten its national security.
“We will be compelled to aim our missiles at facilities that we consider a threat to our national security,” Putin said.