Bush recognizes Kosovo, says will bring peace

By Deborah Charles

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday recognized the independence of Kosovo from Serbia and said it would bring peace to the Balkans.

Bush said during an African tour in Dar es Salaam that the United States would soon establish full diplomatic relations with the majority Albanian country.

"On behalf of the American people, I hereby recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state," Bush said in a letter to President Fatmir Sejdiu.

"I congratulate you and Kosovo's citizens for having taken this important step in your democratic and national development," Bush added, saying Washington was a partner and friend to the new state.

He told reporters in Tanzania: "History will prove this will be a correct move to bring peace to the Balkans. The United States supports this move because we believe it will bring peace".

He spoke before leaving Tanzania for Rwanda, on the third leg of his tour. Bush was hailed here as a friend of Africa and hundreds of people, including schoolchildren in uniform, lined his route to the airport to bid him farewell.

Serbia has recalled its ambassador from Washington to protest against American recognition of Kosovo, first announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday, and Russia strongly opposes independence.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, called Kosovo's declaration "a blatant breach of the norms and principles of international law".

But Bush said the United States had been in close touch with Moscow and recognition "shouldn't come as a surprise".

He said Washington would work with Kosovo's leaders to "carry out a smooth and peaceful transition".

"SINCERE FRIENDSHIP"

In his letter, Bush wrote: "On this historic occasion, I note the deep and sincere bonds of friendship that unite our people. This friendship, cemented during Kosovo's darkest hours of tragedy, has grown stronger in the nine years since war in Kosovo ended".

Washington's action, which was expected, followed recognition of Kosovo by Europe's largest states -- France, Britain, Italy and Germany, as well as some Muslim states like Afghanistan. More countries are expected to follow suit, but Spain said it would not recognize.

Washington, along with most European Union countries, says Serbia relinquished the moral right to rule the people of Kosovo because of brutality under late President Slobodan Milosevic.

Kosovo has been under United Nations supervision since 1999, when NATO bombing forced a withdrawal of Serb forces that had been attacking Albanians in the province. There are some 17,000 NATO-led troops in Kosovo.