After concluding on July 2 that the general proposal for a solution to Kosovo's status had been carried out to a significant extent, the ISG established that Kosovo's institutions had adopted the adequate constitutional and legal changes, proclaiming today the end of supervised independence and of the mandate of the international civilian representative.
Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and the now former international representative, Pieter Feith, told a joint news conference the end of independence supervision was historic.
Thaci pointed to Kosovo's European prospects after the end of the supervision process.
This is the international prediction for Kosovo, the prediction of the democratic world. There are new challenges for the integration of Serbs in the north, the liberalisation of the visa regime and other decisions. We are building a democratic Kosovo so that all of its citizens could feel free. As a young European country, we have a clear vision. Integration with the EU and the continuation of our partnership with the US, said Thaci.
The end of the supervision was applauded by US President Barack Obama, who said in a statement he strongly supported the ISG's decision.
He called on Kosovo authorities to "continue to engage constructively with its neighbors and work to resolve outstanding issues, in particular those with Serbia."
"On behalf of the American people, I congratulate the government, parliament and people of Kosovo on this historic milestone, in which Kosovo takes another important step toward its rightful place in a free, whole and peaceful Europe," Obama said.
Serbian PM Ivica Dacic said in Belgrade today Serbia did not recognise either supervised or unsupervised independence of Kosovo and that the ending of supervised independence meant nothing to Serbia.