Bush pledges Kosovo support

WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush Monday met with Kosovo's president and prime minister in the Oval Office and voiced his strong support for Kosovo's independence.

Flanked by President Fatmir Sedjiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, Bush declared his opposition to "any partition of Kosovo."

Sedjiu said he hopes Kosovo will be able to have good relations with Serbia, which opposed Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence earlier this year and has been trying to get other countries not to recognize the new government.

"The Kosovo people have been following democracy, the principles of democracy and freedom. And the United States are -- they're our supporters. We guaranteed President Bush that we will continue on this road," Sedjiu said.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia Feb. 17 after nearly a decade under the protection of the NATO-led U.N. Kosovo Force, which moved in to prevent Serbia from continuing to persecute the majority ethnic Albanian population.