Montenegro recognises Kosovo

By Kole Casule

SKOPJE (Reuters) - Serbia's neighbours Montenegro and Macedonia recognised Kosovo on Thursday in a blow to Belgrade's efforts to counter the secession of its former province.

On Wednesday, the United Nations' General Assembly supported Serbia's initiative to seek an International Court of Justice opinion on the legality of the independence declaration made by Kosovo in February and recognised by 48, mostly Western states.

Serbia had hoped that it would stop the further recognition of its former province.

Montenegro and Macedonia, the only two former Yugoslav republics that ended their union with Serbia peacefully, on Thursday recognised Kosovo and issued a joint statement.

"The decision to recognise Kosovo .... is the result of thorough political assessment," the joint statement issued in Skopje following a government session said.

"We hope it will be understood by Belgrade," Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki told journalists after Macedonian government formally announced the decision.

"We hope that our relations with Serbia will remain friendly," Montenegro's Foreign Minister Milan Rocen said in Podgorica after the government session on Thursday evening.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that in response to the move, his government will ask Montenegro's ambassador to leave the country. "We consider this to be an adequate response," he told the state news agency Tanjug.