Wednesday, December 16, 1998 Published at 14:44 GMT
World: Europe
Kosovar Albanian leader
awarded Sakharov peace
prize
The European Parliament has awarded the the
leader of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, Ibrahim
Rugova, the Sakharov peace prize for his efforts to
find a peaceful solution for the future of the Serbian
province.
At the ceremony in Strasbourg, Mr Rugova said
that the best solution for Kosovo was
independence, with guarantees for the Serb
population.
He suggested that for a transitional period Kosovo
could become an international protectorate.
The BBC south-east Europe analyst -- reporting
from Strasbourg -- says that at a time of sensitive
negotiations for the province's future, the award is
seen as a political move to bolster Mr Rugova's
position against the militants of the Kosovo
Liberation Army.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
