Kosovo celebrates 10 years of independence with ceremony

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The Kosovo Assembly, or Parliament, has convened in a special session to celebrate the country's 10 years of independence.

In a second day of celebrations Sunday, a ceremony started with the Parliament session and was being followed by a military and police parade and a state reception.

In Feb. 17, 2008, Kosovo's Parliament unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, a political development that came nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians.

Kosovo is recognized by 117 countries, including the U.S. and most Western powers, and has joined about 200 international organizations.

But Serbia, which considers Kosovo the cradle of its civilization, still sees Kosovo as part of its own territory and has the support of Russia and China.

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