Hesitant India says studying ICJ view on Kosovo independence

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Against the backdrop of its
hesitation to recognise Kosovo as an independent country,
India Monday reserved its view on the International Court of
Justice's endorsement of the 2008 unilateral declaration of
independence by Kosovo from Serbia.
"We are studying the Opinion of the ICJ (International
Court of Justice) on the Kosovo issue," Indian External
Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said in a statement
here.
He was commenting on ICJ president Hisashi Owada's
statement that "The declaration of February 17, 2008 (by
Kosovo) did not violate general international law."
Owada rejected Serbia's argument that Kosovo's
declaration of independence from it had no legal basis.
Kosovo declared independence in February, 2008, years
after the bloody 1998-99 war with Serbia and nearly a decade
of international administration.
Prakash added that India's position on "Kosovo's UDI
(Unilateral Declaration of Independence) has not changed."
Earlier, after Kosovo declared independence in 2008,
India had made clear its hesitation to recognise it.
"We have taken note of the Unilateral Declaration of
Independence by Kosovo. There are several legal issues
involved in this declaration. We are studying the evolving
situation," the External Affairs Ministry had said then.
It had underlined that "recognition is normally accorded
on the basis of a country having a defined territory, a duly
constituted Government in charge which is accepted by the
people and which has effective control over an area of
governance."
New Delhi had also noted its "consistent position that
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries
should be fully respected by all states."
India has said that it believed that the Kosovo issue
should have been resolved through peaceful means and through
consultation and dialogue between the concerned parties. PTI
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