SERBIAN PM VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA
"Today, this policy of force thinks that it has triumphed by establishing a false state. As long as the Serb people exist, Kosovo will be Serbia."
US PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH
"We have strongly supported the Ahtisaari plan [for Kosovan independence]...
George W Bush is currently on an African tour
We are heartened by the fact that the Kosovo government has clearly proclaimed its willingness and its desire to support Serbian rights in Kosovo.
We also believe it's in Serbia's interests to be aligned with Europe and the Serbian people can know that they have a friend in America."
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
"We expect the UN mission and Nato-led forces in Kosovo to take immediate action to carry out their mandate... including the annulling of the decisions of Pristina's self-governing organs and the taking of tough administrative measures against them."
EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA
"I am in permanent close contact with Kosovo and leaders in the region. I want to underline that stability in Kosovo as well as of the whole Balkan region is essential.
Therefore, I urge everybody to act calmly and in a responsible way. I am convinced that the Kosovar leaders will be up to their responsibilities in this crucial moment."
UK FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESWOMAN
"It's clearly an important development which creates a new context for Kosovo status.
We have consistently said we see the [Ahtisaari] proposal for supervised independence to which Kosovo has committed itself in its declaration as the most viable way forward."
CZECH PRESIDENT VACLAV KLAUS
"Some parties in other states could realise that they do not feel completely at ease within a big state in which they are now."
SELF-DECLARED ABKHAZ PRESIDENT SERGEI BAGAPSH
"In the near future Abkhazia will appeal to the Russian parliament and the UN Security Council with a request to recognise its independence."
SOUTH OSSETIAN PRESIDENT EDUARD KOKOITY
"South Ossetia will in the near future appeal to... the UN with a request to recognise our independence."
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD KOUCHNER
"I wish good luck to Kosovo."
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Kosovars celebrated by driving their cars waving Albanian flags through several European cities, such as here in Lausanne.
Brussels.
At 15:00 GMT today, Kosovo announced its independence from Serbia. Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi declared that Kosovo would become a democratic country and would respect the rights of all its communities. It is expected that several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and most members of the European Union, will recognise its independence on Monday. Serbia and Russia are against an independent Kosovo. Approximately 10% of Kosovars are of Serbian descent, the majority is Albanian.

The declaration was passed unanimously by the Kosovar parliament, who subsequently signed it. The Prime Minister told MPs that "We have waited for this day for a very long time", and that "the independence of Kosovo marks the end of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia". He also said that Kosovo would be working to follow the plan drawn up by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, and the United Nations. MPs have also selected a new flag (pictured on the right), showing the shape of the country in gold, on a blue background, with six white stars.

The Serbian Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica said that the declaration made Kosovo a ''"false state"''. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic had this to say about the declaration: 



He had previously said that if Kosovo were to declare independence, ''"we shall undertake all diplomatic, political and economic measures designed to impede and reverse this direct and unprovoked attack on our sovereignty."''