The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on whether Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was legal, according to dpa. The assembly voted 77-6 to send the request to the ICJ at The Hague. There were 74 abstentions. The request read as follows: "Is the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo in accordance with international law?" The decision by the 192-nation body was a victory for Serbia, which is opposed to Kosovo's secession and continues to claim the territory as its province. Kosovo has been recognized by a total of 48 countries, including the United States and 22 of the 27 European Union members, since it declared independence on February 17. France and Britain, which recognize Kosovo, said during the assembly debate that the case is unique and therefore is not a threat to Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kosovo only recently emerged as a full-fledged nation, shedding the authority of the United Nations, which administered the territory beginning in 1999 after NATO forces drove out Serbian security forces accused of atrocities against the majority Albanian population living there. Before the vote, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic appealed to the assembly to request an advisory opinion, saying it would "prevent the Kosovo crisis from serving as a deeply problematic precedent in any part of the globe where secessionist ambitions are harboured." The assembly held the formal meeting to debate the issue at the request of Belgrade. Jeremic said the advisory opinion by the ICJ would provide "politically neutral, yet judiciary authoritative guidance" to countries that are still hesitant to recognize Kosovo.
