The United States on Monday formally recognised Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state and pledged to be its friend and partner.
The formal announcement was made by the secretary of state Condoleezza Rice through a statement.
"The United States today formally recognised Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state. We congratulate the people of Kosovo on this historic occasion," she said.
"President (George) Bush has responded affirmatively to a request from Kosovo to establish diplomatic relations between our two countries. The establishment of these relations will reaffirm the special ties of friendship that have linked together the people of the United States and Kosovo," Rice said in her statement.
Nine years ago, the international community, led by the North America Treaty Organisation, acted to end brutal attacks on the Kosovar Albanian population. This timely international intervention ended the violence, leading to a United Nations Security Council decision to suspend Belgrade's governance and place Kosovo under interim UN administration.
Since that time, Kosovo has built its own democratic institutions separate from Belgrade's control. In 2007, UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari developed a plan to build a democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo and recommended Kosovo be independent, subject to a period of international supervision.
"In light of the conflicts of the 1990s, independence is the only viable option to promote stability in the region. The United States supports the Ahtisaari Plan and will work with its international partners to help implement it," Rice maintained while rejecting the argument of Russia that Kosovo could be the precedent setter for secessionist movements globally.
"The United States takes this opportunity to reaffirm our friendship with Serbia, an ally during two world wars. We invite Serbia's leaders to work together with the United States and our partners to accomplish shared goals, such as the protection of the rights, security, culture and livelihood of the Serb community in Kosovo," she added.
"As Kosovo today begins its life as an independent state, the United States pledges to continue to be its close friend and partner," the top administration official added.
