* Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Kosovo in 2008, still under dispute.

See the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence.

On 22 July 2010, the International Court of Justice gave the following advisory opinion: " The declaration of independence of Kosovo adopted on 17 February 2008 did not violate international law.

The Assembly of Kosovo adopted the declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 ; Kosovo Serb parliamentarians boycotted the session.

French foreign minister and former UN Kosovo chief, Bernard Kouchner, warned that a unilateral declaration would split the European Union over recognition of the independence, whilst US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack commented that, ' There is nothing to be gained by short-circuiting the diplomatic process that is under way.

* 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence from Serbia

Although the region is claimed by Serbia to be a Serbian province, Albania recognized Kosovo ’ s declaration of independence on 18 February 2008.

In 2007, Ischinger was the European Union Representative in the Troika negotiations on the future of Kosovo which led to the declaration of independence of Kosovo and to the recognition of Kosovo by most EU member countries, by the United States, and a number of other countries, in February, 2008.

Israel is reluctant to recognize Kosovo's independence, in part because of the possibility of Palestinians using recognition of Kosovo to justify their own unilateral declaration of independence.

Ismail Qemali refused to wait for Isa Boletini and other Albanians from Kosovo vilayet and hastily made the Albanian declaration of independence.

Afterwards, he voiced many times his disagreement with the unilateral Kosovo declaration of independence.

That Kosovo ’ s declaration and testament is regarded as s covenant which the Serb people made with God – and sealed with martyrs ’ blood.

The declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008 could be interpreted as a degree of success in the creation of a Greater Albania ( were such territory to be annexed to Albania or federated with the state ), although the United Nations ( UN ) has stated that if as a result Kosovo becomes independent, annexation by another state would not be possible.

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia reported that in reaction to the 2008 declaration of Kosovo independence, SPS leader Ivica Dačić said he would call for a ban on all political parties and NGOs in Serbia which recognise Kosovo independence.

The party also won 17 seats in the Kosovska Mitrovica-based Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija consisting of Kosovan Serb municipalities who defied Kosovo's declaration of independence.

In the early 2008 parliamentary election held in May 2008 following the self-proclaimed declaration of independence by the Serbian province of Kosovo, the DSS won 30 seats in the National Assembly in coalition with New Serbia.

On July 22, 2010, the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion concerning the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.

In reaction to the 2008 declaration of Kosovo independence, Ilic threatened the Liberal Democratic Party of Serbia leader Cedomir Jovanovic ( one of the few Serbian politicians who openly advocate in favor of the independence of the Serbian province ), saying he should feel " lucky if he stays alive until March, but that it will not be easy.

Kosovo, administrated by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo since 1999, declared independence in 2008.

* 2008 – Kosovo declares independence.

Luxembourg recognized the independence of Kosovo on 21 February 2008.

This letter, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, reads as follows: “ In acknowledging the decision of the International Court of Justice on the independence of Kosovo, the Government of the Sultanate of Oman will welcome Kosovo ’ s membership to the United Nations, as well as to other international and regional organizations it wishes to join ”.

The Sultanate of Oman is the 75th country that recognized independence of the Republic of Kosovo.

On 20 September 2011, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj after Serbian speculation for the recognition received confirmation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah of full recognition of the independence of Kosovo.

The status of Kosovo was now greater than it had been between 1974 and 1990 when it was at its strongest ; the province followed Montenegro in rejecting the Yugoslav / Serbian Dinar in place of the international currencies, and went even further: Kosovo's parliament created new car registration plates for its citizens, unlike Montenegro which continues to use the old FRY type licence plates two years after independence.

Kosovo, which was previously an autonomous unit of Serbia declared independence in 2008, but has received less international recognition.

Some areas possess de facto independence, such as Taiwan, North Cyprus, Kosovo, and South Ossetia, but their independence is disputed by one or more major states.

Kosovo is a largely ethnic-Albanian nation ( Albanians 88 %, Serbs 6 %, Bosniaks 3 %, Roma 2 %, Turks 1 %), which seeks independence on territories long held by ethnic Serbs, including as part of Yugoslavia.

On 17 February 2008, 109 members ( 10 members including all Kosovo Serbs were absent ) of the Kosovo Assembly voted unanimously to declare independence.

Kosovo independence is disputed and supervised by the international community following the conclusion of the political process to determine Kosovo's final status envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

In February 2008 Europe's major powers and the United States recognised independence of Kosovo.

The independence of Kosovo has been recognized by.

The British Army is currently deployed in Kosovo, Cyprus, Germany, Afghanistan and many other places.

Kosovo government is planning a general population census for 2011.

This population was largely divided between Montenegro and Serbia ( which then included what is now Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia ).

Kosovo censuses do not ask questions on religious affiliation ; it is therefore not clear how many maintain a Muslim affiliation.

Although in Kosovo the music is diverse, authentic Albanian music ( see World Music ) and Serbian music do still exist.

Classical music is also well known in Kosovo and has been taught at several music schools and universities ( at the University of Prishtina Faculty of Arts in Pristina and the University of Priština Faculty of Arts at Kosovska Mitrovica ).

Kosovo is extremely vulnerable to organised crime and thus to money laundering.

Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia ( including the Gora region in Kosovo ).

The Republic of Macedonia is a country situated in southeastern Europe with geographic coordinates, bordering Kosovo and Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west.

* 1988 – Serbian communist representative and future Serbian and Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic publicly declares that Serbia is under attack from Albanian separatists in Kosovo as well as internal treachery within Yugoslavia and a foreign conspiracy to destroy Serbia and Yugoslavia.

* The flags of Cyprus and Kosovo ( and that of the Australian territory of Christmas Island ) are the only national flags which depict the shape of the area that they represent ( the Korean Unification Flag depicts the Korean Peninsula, although it is not an official flag in either North or South Korea ).

* 1448 – Second Battle of Kosovo, where the mainly Hungarian army led by John Hunyadi is defeated by an Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad II.

The Balkans is a peninsula including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the European part of Turkey.

This trend is reflected in its recent positions on Kosovo and Israel.

The Republic of Serbia was than and is still today divided into 29 districts ( 17 in Central Serbia, 7 in Vojvodina and 5 in Kosovo, which are now defunct ), while the city of Belgrade presents a district of its own.

The terrain of the two republics is extremely varied, with much of Serbia comprising plains and low hills ( except in the more mountainous region of Kosovo and Metohija ) and much of Montenegro consisting of high mountains.

There is a joint Czech-Slovak peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

The SHQSU is not the same as the more publicized SWISSCOY, which is the Swiss Army Mission to Kosovo.