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Brussels: The European Union sidestepped differences over recognising Kosovo's independence on Monday to pledge that the whole Western Balkans would one day join the bloc and vowed to guarantee stability in the region.
The four major EU powers - France, Germany, Britain and Italy - announced their intention to recognise the new state that seceded from Serbia on Sunday, but Spain and several other countries said they would not do so.
The 27 EU foreign ministers united behind a statement that left each member free to decide on recognition but authorised the European Commission to use EU funds and personnel "to promote economic and political development".
The ministers said Kosovo was a unique case because of the bloody Yugo-slav wars of the 1990s and did not set a precedent for other breakaway regions around the world or call into question international legal principles.
Within an hour of the EU statement, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States was recognising Kosovo. US President George W. Bush will speak publicly on Kosovo on Tuesday.
Spain, grappling with its own Basque and Catalan separatist movements, vowed not to recognise the new state, but helped clinch a compromise in the EU by reaffirming the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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