European Union foreign ministers Friday failed to rally around a United Nations proposal for supervised independence for Kosovo despite German efforts to secure support for the plan, EU diplomats said, according to dpa. "This means that the EU will not be able to speak with one voice in the United Nations Security Council," said an EU diplomat. The UN opens a debate on Kosovo's future status next week. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said EU foreign ministers meeting in Bremen in Germany had held "intensive discussions" on Kosovo. But there was no full support for quasi-independence for the territory as proposed by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Several EU states, including Spain, Greece and Slovakia, have voiced opposition to independence for Kosovo, fearing this could trigger demands for similar treatment by other disputed territories. Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos told reporters, however, that he would not block joint EU support for the UN proposals. Albanian Kosovar leaders have accepted the UN plan but Serbia rejects independence for Kosovo as a breach of international law and a violation of its sovereignty. Veto-wielding UN Security Council members Russia and China also oppose the establishment of an independent Kosovo. As such, UN discussions on the blueprint are expected to take several weeks.
