The draft resolution, submitted by senators Joseph Lieberman, Joseph Biden, John McCain and Gordon Smith, backs UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s proposal, stating that a supervised independence would be the only possible solution to the province’s status.

The resolution also urges President George Bush to increase U.S. pressure in the UN Security Council in order to have Kosovo declared an independent state, “without redrawing borders.”

The senators also advocate swift establishment of diplomatic ties with Kosovo after its independence, warning however that Priština must approach fulfillment of democratic standards “seriously“, as well as provide security for the Serbs in the province.

Obrad Kesić, a political analyst based in Washington, told B92 the Albanian lobby has already managed to influence the Senate, and confirmed the resolution was ready. Kesić also stressed the senators behind the document, Lieberman in particular, were the leading figures in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

“I expect a difficult debate on the subject after the holidays. It is hard to predict whether the resolution will pass,” Kesić said, adding that Senate resolutions were not legally binding and therefore had no direct influence on U.S. foreign policy.