US president George Bush, meeting visiting Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu and prime minister Hashim Thaci in the Oval Office on July 21 2008, pledged that the US would “work with” countries that have not recognised Kosovo as independent to do so as quickly as possible.

The two Kosovo leaders met Bush during a visit to Washington that also included talks with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and defence secretary Robert Gates.

According to an official White House transcript, Bush said after the meeting that he was a “strong supporter” of Kosovo’s independence.

“I'm against any partition of Kosovo,” Bush said, a reference to moves from some quarters to section off the northern part of the territory that has a majority of ethnic Serbs. Kosovo, which overall has an ethnic Albanian majority, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.

“I believe strongly that the United Nations mission must be transferred to the EU as quickly as possible,” Bush said, in counterpoint to Serbia and Russian opposition to the deployment of the European Union’s EULEX police and civilian mission. Belgrade and Moscow and their backers have been prepared to recognise only the civilian administration put in place in Kosovo in terms of a 1999 UN Security Council resolution, UNMIK.

“I want to thank you very much for your support of minority rights, the full implementation of the Ahtisaari plan,” Bush told the Kosovo leaders.

“We discussed a variety of issues. We discussed the problems that Kosovo faces, its desire to be recognised by more nations around the world. I pledged that the United States would continue to work with those nations that have not recognised an independent Kosovo to convince them to do so as quickly as possible,” Bush said.

“We talked about economics, education. And we talked about the transatlantic aspirations of both Kosovo and Serbia, which the United States supports in both cases,” he said.

“I mentioned to both these leaders that they were sitting right below the portrait of George Washington, the founder of a free United States. And I appreciate your courage. I appreciate your leadership. And I commit the United States to help you realise your dreams,” Bush said.

Sejdiu said that he had conveyed to Bush the aspirations and thanks of the people of Kosovo.

“The Kosovo people have been following democracy, the principles of democracy and freedom,” Sejdiu said.

He said that the two visiting Kosovo leaders had “guaranteed” to Bush that they would continue on this road, while implementing the Ahtisaari plan.

“Kosovo will be a country of democracy, a country of all its citizens. It will have a special respect for the minorities. We are very much interested to have good relations with the Republic of Serbia. Our progress will be with the integration of NATO and the EU,” Sejdiu said.

Thaci said that Kosovo would always have deep respect for the US and would have “excellent relations with all our neighbours, and in the future with Serbia”.

“As a sovereign and democratic country we want to be part of Nato and part of the EU and have excellent relations with the United States. This is our pledge, this is our responsibility, this is our vision,” Thaci said.