The Kosovo Philharmonic is rehearsing and the flagpoles are ready. As it prepares to declare independence from Serbia all that the world’s newest country needs is an anthem, a flag, a constitution, a legal code, international recognition and a truce with its angry neighbour, amid continued fears of violence.

Some of the essentials are nearly in place while the others will take years and may never be achieved. One thing is certain: there will be a small but significant name change on the map when the province of Kosovo breaks away from Serbian rule and becomes the Republic of Kosova, the title used by the ethnic Albanians who make up 90 per cent of the population.

“We call Kosovo Kosova. It is the name that has existed here for centuries,” said Fadil Hysa, an adviser to the Prime Minister. “It was always Kosova among the Albanians. It will be the Republic of Kosova.”

Kosovo has been under UN protection since the war of 1999 when Nato bombed Belgrade to prevent Serbian ethnic cleansing. It is expected to declare independence on February 17.

Russia will never recognise Kosovo as long as Serbia objects to the loss of the southern province it regards as the cradle of the Serb nation. This will leave the new country in international legal limbo, even with the approval of the US and most of Europe.

Kosovo’s constitution is being written with help from US advisers. The Museum of London has advised on the materials to use to best preserve it and the declaration of independence for posterity. But the simple process of finding a flag for this new Balkan territory shows how difficult the transition to statehood will be. All over Kosovo the flag that flies is that of Albania — the two-headed black eagle on a red background. It was carried by the Kosovan Liberation Army into battle against the Serbs in 1998-99. Much to the annoyance of most of its population, the Government has heeded a UN call to find a new design that will not be offensive to the 200,000 Serbs who live in enclaves dotted around Kosovo, some heavily fortified with razor wire and guarded by Nato troops. An international competition brought 997 proposals from as far away as New Zealand and the US including seven from Serbia.

Pristina is traversed by Bill Clinton Boulevard and has a replica Statue of Liberty, so it was no surprise that one of the proposals featured the eagle in the corner of US-style red and white horizontal stripes. It was rejected because of the Albanian connection.

Three designs are still in the running, awaiting a decision of the Kosovan parliament. The Times understands that two of these are based on a black, white and red tricolour, one of which features a spiral in the centre representing a Bronze Age symbol from the Dardanian Kingdom which held sway in the 4th century BC. The other design is understood to be a map of Kosovo surrounded by five yellow stars on a blue background.

The first two bring together colours from the Albanian tradition (black and red) and the Serbian (blue, white and red) while the third recalls the EU’s ring of gold stars on blue — highlighting Kosovo’s desire to join Western Europe. Kosovo will also adopt a coat of arms, probably featuring the country’s most prized archaeological artefact, a 6,000-year-old terracotta figurine. Arber Hadri, director of Pristina’s museum, said: “The Goddess on the Throne is a symbol of the heritage and cultural identity of Kosovo. It is a symbol that is acceptable for all the communities in Kosova because it does not have an ethnic background.”

Mr Hadri is pushing for the Dardanian spiral to be included on the new flag. “The spiral is a symbol of the rotating sun, like life. You cannot change the cultural identity of the people. But it is better to have totally new symbols for a totally new state.”

Meanwhile, even though it does not yet know the national anthem, the Kosovo Philharmonic is busy rehearsing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.

— Several thousand people rallied in Belgrade yesterday to urge leaders to press on with Serbia’s integration into the European Union regardless of what happens to Kosovo. The demonstration was organised by student associations in protest at the refusal of Vojislav Kostunica, the nationalist Prime Minister, to sign an accord last week with the European bloc. Carrying blue EU balloons and pro-European banners, the students braved chilly winds and chanted “Down with Kostunica”. (AFP)

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