Spain urges US to 'respect' Kosovo pullout decision

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MADRID, Mar 21 (AFP): Spain urged the United States Friday to respect its decision to withdraw its troops from Kosovo, after Washington expressed its disappointment at the move.
"We respect the position of other countries, but at the same time we ask for respect for our position," said a source at the office of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon announced Thursday some 630 Spanish troops with the KFOR force would be leaving the territory in stages by August in coordination with its allies.
US State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Washington was disappointed and surprised by the decision, adding it had expected allies to act as one.
At an EU summit in Brussels Friday, Zapatero insisted he was pulling Spanish troops out of Kosovo because security had improved and Madrid's role made no sense as it did not recognise the territory.
"A year ago, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, and as is well known, Spain did not recognise this," he told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels.
"For this reason, our role in this scenario lost some of its sense, especially once stability in the zone improved," he said.
Spain has declined to recognise Kosovo out of concern that it might set a precedent for separatists at home.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said Spain had warned its NATO allies some time ago that it planned to withdraw from Kosovo.