Canada officially recognizes Kosovo

OTTAWA, March 18 (UPI) -- Canada Tuesday formally recognized Kosovo, Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier announced in Ottawa.

In a statement, Bernier said many of Canada's G-7 partners and allies had already recognized the predominantly Albanian territory that announced its independence from Serbia Feb. 17.

Bernier said Canada wanted to take its time to assess the situation before formally recognizing the breakaway Balkan state. He said assurances issued by Kosovar leaders about rights of the minority 120,000 Serbs in the region were considered.

"We welcome the commitment made by Kosovo to ensure the protection of the rights of Serbian and other minorities, including their right to safety," he said. "Canada also welcomes Kosovo's commitment to ensure the protection of religious and cultural heritage sites."

Serbia considers Kosovo its cultural birthplace, and the region is rich in Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries.

The Serbian embassy in Ottawa said its ambassador, Dusan Batakovic, would return to Belgrade for discussions with his government, which Bernier said was standard diplomatic procedure.