国际英语新闻：European Parliament urges all EU members to recognize Kosovo

BELGRADE, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on all European Union member states to recognize the independence of Kosovo, reported the Serbian news agency Tanjug.

The resolution, passed by a vote of 455 to 150, calls on the five remaining EU member states to recognize Kosovo's independence in order for European policy to be more effective and for EU states to share a common foreign policy with respect to Kosovo.

Of the 27 EU members, only Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Greece have not recognized Kosovo.

The resolution also calls on the Serbian government to be practical with respect to the status issue and to abstain from blocking Kosovo's membership in international organizations.

Kosovo authorities are requested to make progress in the battle against corruption and organized crime, decentralization and administration reform.

Serbia is currently challenging the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence of what it still regards as its southern province of Kosovo before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The EP resolution says the forthcoming opinion of the ICJ should not affect policies that are in the "best interest of the entire population in Kosovo and its neighbor."