EU, American and British flags and signs of gratitude have been on prominent display along the streets of the capital Pristina. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel approved Wednesday recognizing Kosovo as an independent nation.
"The government is ready to establish diplomatic relations with the new state," a spokesman for the cabinet announced on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced earlier in the week that Germany would recognize the breakaway province of Serbia, which has been under international administration since 1999.
Germany has joined the United States, France and Britain in recognizing the word's newest state.