George W. Bush today rejected an “endless dialogue” on the future status of Kosovo, saying the time was ripe to move towards independence for the Albanian-majority Serbian province.

“I happen to believe that it’s important to move the process along,” the American President told reporters in Tirana, during the first ever visit to Albania by a US president.

“Independence is the goal,” Mr Bush said during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. “The time is now."

Mr Bush reaffirmed his strong support for the proposal by United Nations Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s to grant Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority “internationally supervised independence” from Serbia, which is seen as a blueprint leading to total independence further down the line. The plan is backed by Kosovo Albanian leaders, the United States and the European Union, but adamantly opposed by Serbia and its ally Russia, which has threatened to block it before the UN Security Council.

During last week’s meeting in Germany of leaders from the G8 most industrialised countries, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, had proposed a six-month pause for reflection on Kosovo’s status before implementing any plan. President Bush made it clear today that the time for reflection was over and warned of possible unrest if the aspirations of the Kosovo Albanians were not me.

“At some point in time, sooner rather than later, you got to say ’enough’s enough, Kosovo’s independent’,” Mr Bush said. “I'm worried about expectations not being met in Kosovo,” he added.

The American President, leaving behind thousands of anti-Bush protesters in Rome, got a hero’s welcome on arrival in Albania this morning.

The hills overlooking the capital boomed with cannon bursts heralding President Bush’s arrival. Thousands of people gathered in the downtown square on a brilliantly sunny day to see the president and first lady Laura Bush. Huge banners proclaimed “Proud to be Partners” and billboards read “President Bush in Albania Making History.” Red-white-and-blue paper top hats with stars on top were passed out to well-wishers; three postage stamps bearing images of Mr Bush and of the Statue of Liberty have been issued.

Mr Bush said he was visiting Albania to encourage a free society but being seen receiving a robust greeting in a predominantly Muslim country also makes good political sense on the world stage.

“I want to make sure the Albanian people understand that America knows that you exist and that you’re making difficult choices to cement your free society,” Mr Bush said in an interview before the trip. “I’m coming as a lover of liberty to a land where people are realising the benefits of liberty."

During his visit the American President is to greet troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had lunch with the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia and Croatia, which hope to join Nato next year.

Albania wants membership in Nato and the European Union but even though it has soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan and wholeheartedly backs Washington, Mr Bush has not been that upbeat about its chances. Russia has opposed successive enlargements of Nato into eastern Europe. The likely expansion into the Balkans does not please Russia but the Kremlin is much more concerned about the prospect that its neighbours, Ukraine and Georgia, may also be brought into the Western alliance.

“There’s a certain map that has to be followed, a certain way forward, there are certain obligations that have to be met,” Mr Bush said. “My only advice is: work as hard as you possibly can to achieve the different benchmarks that would cause the Nato members to accept Albania.”

Albania does not seem likely to gain entry into the EU soon. Romania and Bulgaria were admitted in January but the EU seems unwilling to take in more poor countries, such as Turkey, Ukraine or Albania, that will cost the wealthier member states billions in subsidies to bring their economies up to Western standards.

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