Kosovo's president spells out 'essential' Nato support

Kosovo’s president said today Nato’s promise to secure his new nation’s borders against Serbia was vital.

Fatmir Sejdiu said assurances that Kosovo would not be abandoned provided a “powerful guarantee” for stability.

Nato has about 16,000 peacekeepers in the country.

Mr Sejdiu warned Serbia that any attempts to partition the fledgling country along ethnic lines will bring what he called “grave consequences” to the region.

He spoke as hundreds of Serbs staged protests for a fourth day since Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership declared independence on Sunday.

“There is a part of society that wants to destabilise Kosovo and create alarming, hopeless situations and scare the international community,” Mr Sejdiu said.

“Any change of borders brings extremely grave consequences for the region, and someone then has to be held accountable.”

Hundreds of Serbs have launched attacks on border outposts following the declaration of independence, prompting Nato to reinforce the northern Serb-dominated part of Kosovo and take control of the borders.

The violence has sparked fears of sustained violence, with Serbian officials saying the attacks were in line with its attempt to contest Kosovo’s secession.

Mr Sejdiu called upon Kosovo’s Serb minority to accept what he called “a new reality” and accept ethnic Albanians’ offers of broad rights under an internationally brokered plan. He accused Belgrade of making “irrational calls” for violence, and urged Serbia’s leaders to break with the past.

“The region is fed up with conflict and bloody wars,” Mr Sejdiu said. “It is important to give a peaceful future a chance.”

Ethnic Albanian separatists fought a 1998-99 war with Serbian forces, and an estimated 10,000 people were killed.

In areas of Kosovo where Serbs live surrounded by majority ethnic Albanians, Serb leaders urged Serbia’s government to tone down statements or risk endangering lives.

“Serbs from the north have brought other Serbs in Kosovo in a position to fear for their children and their lives, which is a very painful feeling – the fear of what your own people might do,” Kosovo Serb leader Rada Trajkovic said.

Although many nations were quick to recognise Kosovo as a state, some such as Spain, Romania and Slovakia have not endorsed its independence, fearing it might encourage separatist movements elsewhere.

But Mr Sejdiu expressed confidence that others would follow suit and eventually recognise Kosovo’s statehood.

“We have made our choice, and that is the choice of a free market economy, human rights and freedom of speech,” Mr Sejdiu said. “I think they will recognise sooner or later.”