The Kosovo before independence

Columnist Roger Cohen sees cause for celebration in the imminent independence of Kosovo, though "Serbia will rail against what its prime minister calls 'this fictitious state on Serbian territory,' and the Russian bear will growl, and Balkan tensions will flare for a while ... . The fact is the independence of Kosovo is justified, unique and unavoidable. ... Serbia lost a nationalist gamble on Kosovo a long time ago; the differences stemming from it are unbridgeable. Further delay of the inescapable can only damage the region. ... European Union foreign ministers meet Monday and may agree on a 'platform' statement saying conditions for recognition have been met. A clear majority of the 27 European Union members - certainly no less than 20 - are expected to recognize Kosovo rapidly. ...Unanimity would be nice but broad consensus is sufficient. ... More important, the United States and Europe will march in step, not a frequent occurrence of late."

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