The European Union (EU) decided on Monday that its member states will decide individually on whether to recognize the independence of Kosovo.

EU member states will individually decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo, said a statement issued after a heated meeting on the issue among EU foreign ministers.

The EU reiterated its long-standing commitment to the Western Balkans, and its readiness to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the region, said the statement.

The EU as a whole does not recognize a country, and it is the member states that recognize a country, said Dimitrij Rupel, foreign minister of Slovenia which holds the rotating EU presidency.

Speaking at a press conference after the first day talks of the EU foreign ministers, Rupel said that in adopting the statement on Kosovo, the EU has "survived a test of unity" and has reacted to the developments in Kosovo "appropriately."

The statement reflected the EU's unified stance on Kosovo, he said, adding "We have preserved unity."

The EU pledged to continue to cooperate with the United Nations, the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international actors in order to preserve stability in the region, said the statement.

The EU reiterated its adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, inter alia the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and all UN Security Council resolutions.

Meanwhile, it stressed that "in view of the conflict of the 1990s, and the extended period of international administration under (UN) SCR 1244, Kosovo constitutes a sui generis case which does not call into question these principles and resolutions."

Rupel cautioned that Kosovo is a unique case and "has nothing to do with other cases."

Meanwhile, the EU condemned, in the statement, recent acts of violence in Belgrade, Mitrovica and other places, in particular against foreign diplomatic missions and urged respective authorities to ensure security and safety of the EU citizens and their property.

The EU called on Serbia and Kosovo to respect previous commitments to refrain from any activities or statements which might endanger the security situation.

In the statement, the EU foreign ministers also reaffirmed the EU's commitments to fully and effectively support the European perspective for the Western Balkans. They asked the European Commission to use community instruments to promote economic and political development and to propose to the broader region concrete measures in order to advance in that direction.