Brussels, 10/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - At a conference held in Strasbourg on 8 April attended by Liberal Democrats from Albania and Kosovo, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), under the leadership of MEP Annemie Neyts (Liberal, Belgium), the Liberal International and their representatives in the European Parliament and the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly adopted a statement calling for recognition of Kosovo's de jure independence. In a press release, Ms Neyts said that Kosovo should become independent and be admitted to the UN and the Council of Europe on condition that it: - adheres to UN and European human and minority rights conventions; - recognises the right of the Serbian minority to preserve and administer its cultural monuments and have Serbian as a national language; - hands over to the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal at The Hague any citizen of Kosovo charged with offences by the prosecutor of that Tribunal; - recognises that its existing borders are permanent. The leader of the ALDE group in the Council of Europe Matyas Eörsi called on the “Serbian government to encourage the Serb minority in Kosovo to participate fully in the life of an independent Kosovo”, and Gjerji Dedaj, leader of the Liberal Party of Kosovo (PLK), said that while “Kosovo cannot anymore be part of Serbia, Albanian and Serbian Kosovans must continue to promote liberal values in this part of Europe”.