Former Kosovo prime minister Bajram Rexhepi told a local television channel the province would unilaterally declare independence on February 17 or 18 2008, Macedonian news agency MIA reported, confirming the date that was claimed by intelligence reports in Serbia earlier this month.

The day of the declaration of independence is now known and no one could stop the process, Rexhepi said, as quoted by MIA and Bulgarian news agency BTA. He also called on citizens of the province to act with restraint for the day and avoid possible provocations.

In addition to the declaration of independence, officials would present Kosovo's state symbols and constitution on the same day, parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi was quoted as saying.

On February 8 2008, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that the Serbian officials expected Kosovo to declare independence by February 17 2008. On the same day, Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaçi said that around 100 countries would recognise Kosovo’s independence, regardless of the opposition from Serbia and Russia.

Serbian president Boris Tadic and prime minister Vojislav Kostunica both have said that Serbia would declare invalid any unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.

Bulgaria's official position on Kosovo is that a consensus solution needs to be reached. Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin has repeatedly stressed that a unilateral proclamation of independence would be a bad twist and that a solution should be reached through dialogue.