Papoulias: Kosovo’s independence declared too early

Kosovo’s declaration of independence was made too early, and countries that don’t recognize Kosovo are actually safeguarding their own national interests, Greek President Carolos Papoulias said.

He made the remarks Thursday during his three-day visit to Prague.

“It’s very complicated to urge Serbia to accept declaration of Kosovo’s independence without limitation,” Papoulias said.

The international community should insist on continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina because the UN mediator Maarti Ahtisaari’s plan was made in haste.

“Now we have a problem – as regards the development of the Balkan region, Kosovo will remain a flashpoint.”