Kosovo

In a statement, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States �has today formally recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state. We congratulate the people of Kosovo on this historic occasion.�

Earlier, France and Britain had led European nations in recognizing Kosovo. Germany was also reported to have recognized Kosovo. The Associated Press reported that Serbia recalled its ambassador from the United States in protest.

In a television interview, President Bush called the people of Kosovo �independent,� although he stopped short of formal recognition. Mr. Bush is to make a formal, televised statement from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he is on a tour of African states, early on Tuesday morning local time, or 11:15 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, the White House said.

�The Kosovars are now independent,� Mr. Bush said in a live interview broadcast on NBC television from Arusha, Tanzania, according to Reuters. �It�s something I�ve advocated along with my government.�

Ms. Rice said Mr. Bush had agreed to Kosovo�s request to establish diplomatic relations, and she tried to reassure Serbia about the welfare of Kosovo�s Serbian minority. Ms. Rice spoke with Serbian President Boris Tadic by phone on Sunday.

�The United States takes this opportunity to reaffirm our friendship with Serbia, an ally during two world wars,� Ms. Rice said in the statement.

European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels appeared to reach a minimum common position acknowledging that Kosovo had declared independence, and allowing those nations that wanted formally to recognize it to do so.

But some, with their own separatist movements, remain loath to validate Kosovo�s unilateral move.

France and Britain said they would recognize Kosovo. Bernard Kouchner, France�s foreign minister, said a letter recognizing Kosovo as an independent state would be sent from President Nicolas Sarkozy to Pristina on Monday night. Mr. Kouchner said the declaration was �a victory for common sense,� and pointed to what he hoped would be future reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo.

�I don�t know at what date, in which year, but Kosovo and Serbia will be together in the European Union,� he said.

However, the foreign minister of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, told reporters that the declaration did not respect international law and Spain would not recognize Kosovo.

�The government of Spain will not recognize the unilateral act proclaimed yesterday by the assembly of Kosovo,� he said, according to Reuters.

Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Greece have also been reluctant to recognize Kosovo.

The province declared independence from Serbia on Sunday, sending tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians streaming through the streets to celebrate what they hoped was the end of a long and bloody struggle for national self-determination.

Russia, which opposes Kosovo�s independence, demanded an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Sunday to proclaim the declaration �null and void,� but the meeting produced no resolution.

The Security Council agreed to a request by Russia and Serbia to hold an open meeting on Monday that was to be addressed by Mr. Tadic.

R. Nicholas Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs, said in a conference call with reporters Monday that he did not expect any change in diplomatic relations with Serbia.

Mr. Burns also said that he did not foresee trouble with Russia. �I do not expect any kind of crisis with Russia over this,� he said. �I expect Russia to be supportive of stability in this region.�

In her statement, Ms. Rice said Kosovo� s move should not be used as a precedent � a possible warning to Russia against encouraging independence movements in Russia-backed enclaves in Georgia.

�Kosovo cannot be seen as a precedent for any other situation in the world today,� she said.

But in Moscow, the Russian upper and lower house of Parliament on Monday released a joint statement signaling an intention to recognize the separatist enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both in Georgia

Abkhazia and South Ossetia have announced their intention to seek recognition as independent states. Russia has already granted citizenship to most residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and had hinted that it might recognize the regions� independence if Western countries recognized Kosovo.