European Union foreign ministers met in Viana Do Castelo, Portugal, last Saturday to ensure that all EU member states present a unified stance on the issue of Kosovo’s independence and to devise an alternative plan should current talks break down.

The Serbian province of Kosovo has been governed by a United Nations mission since the end of the 1999 nato bombings. UN-backed negotiations to decide the final status of Kosovo have been ongoing since early last year. Serbia, with the backing of Russia, wants to maintain sovereignty over Kosovo, while Kosovar Prime Minister Agim Ceku says Kosovo may bypass the UN and declare unilateral independence as early as November if the negotiations do not “open a way for us.” Serbian and Kosovar representatives have until December 10 to arrive at a settlement, but the United States has already declared that it would recognize Kosovo if it unilaterally declares independence.

At their weekend meeting, EU foreign ministers concluded that the chances of Serbia and Kosovo reaching a mutually agreeable conclusion are almost zero. European states are now deciding whether or not the EU should recognize a possible declaration of independence by Kosovo. French Ambassador Jean-Francois Terral stated the Union will maintain unity no matter how the situation develops.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to Berlin this past Monday to talk with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about Kosovo. Germany is closely involved in the issue, with the German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger being the EU’s representative in the talks on the future of Kosovo.

Chancellor Merkel asserted at the G-8 summit this past summer that Kosovo would in fact be independent. She seeks to assert Germany’s power and is pushing for Kosovo independence even against Russian opposition.

Look for the EU to unite over the issue of Kosovo’s independence and for Germany to be a leading voice in deciding the bloc’s stance on the issue. For more information on how Germany is using the Kosovo issue to emerge as the leader of Europe, please read The Rising Beast.