Kosovo: Independence declared

The Kosovo Assembly declared the region a new country yesterday, Sunday, February 17, in a long-anticipated step that marks the further dissolution of the former Yugoslavia into ethnically based Balkan states.

"Through this Declaration, we are declaring that Kosovo is an independent state,? stated the document signed by all of Member of Parliament present.

The document said legislators were ?answering the call of the people to build a state that will reaffirm the people?s will, sworn in painful and hard history, and in the willingness to promote and respect the diversity of people who seek to integrate in European bodies,? says the Declaration.

Thousands of ethnic-Albanian Kosovars chanted in celebration outside as the Assembly voted to approve the independence declaration.

On the other hand, Serbian officials vowed Belgrade would never recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Protesters took out to the streets of Belgrade on Sunday to oppose Kosovo declaration of independence. They attacked U.S. and Slovenian embassies, while clashing with the riot police, which stopped them from making further damages to these embassies.

While, on Kosovo itself, declaration of independence proceeded without any major excesses.