Post by Novi Pazar on Aug 28, 2008 4:45:06 GMT -5
Moscow: We will not recognize Kosovo’s secession
Russia is not planning to recognize Kosovo's secession despite its recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said in New York
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Churkin admitted that the Kosovo precedent had influenced Russia's decision to recognize independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"When the issue of recognizing Kosovo's independence was first being considered and when the deadline for considering UN Envoy Ahtisaari's plan was ending, Russia warned that developments in the Caucasus could move in a similar direction, and that is what happened", Churkin said.
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday Moscow's decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states has no parallel with Kosovo's declaration of independence made earlier this year.
"In both cases the center started a war in Kosovo and South Ossetia, as well as Abkhazia, but the conflicts were halted in different ways - through the ruthless inhuman bombardment of Belgrade in the case of Kosovo and without punishing Tbilisi for its attacks on Sukhumi [Abkhazia's capital]," Lavrov said.
"A ceasefire was agreed, peacekeepers were deployed and mechanisms for talks established. Belgrade has never tried to use military force or cast doubt on negotiations since 1999, but they were destroyed by Kosovo Albanians supported by the West. And it was Tbilisi that undermined the settlement mechanisms in South Ossetia and Abkhazia," the minister said.
"Therefore, drawing parallels is irrelevant here, and the difference is evident between Belgrade's policy towards Kosovo and how Saakashvili's regime behaved towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Lavrov said.
Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Konuzin said on Tuesday that Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would not weaken Serbia's positions in defending Kosovo, and pointed out that Moscow would continue to strongly reflect the stands of Belgrade.
"As far as Kosovo is concerned, I hold that nothing has changed in that respect", the Russian ambassador said.
"Of course, there are certain analogies and this has been a topic of discussions for some time now, particularly since Russia warned that the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence and recognition of that independence created a precedent, but, unfortunately, no one would listen to us", the ambassador added.
In Bratislava, Slovakia's Foreign Minister Jan Kubishas has said that Kosovo independence is unacceptable for his country and that Slovakia will not change its position in that respect.
"We have no intention of changing our position in regard to our refusal to recognise Kosovo independence, and in this respect we are a minority in the European Union, but we believe that our position is the right one and we will persist on such a stand", Kubis said.
The ambassador of Malaysia to Serbia So Ching Hong said today that his country will support the initiative of Serbia to ask for an advisory opinion on the International Court of Justice on Kosovo's unilateral secession.
"We are a country which trusts the ICJ", the Malaysia ambasador said.
"Despite great pressure to recognize Kosovo, our leaders have decided to wait. The current position is that Malaysia will wait for the initiative of Serbia in front of the UN General Assembly", he said.
"Most of the countries of the Organization of Islamic Countries did not recognize Kosovo. I believe they did not do so because of their own internal interests, but also because Serbia has presented a good case in front of the Muslim countries", the ambassador said.
Russia is not planning to recognize Kosovo's secession despite its recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said in New York
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Churkin admitted that the Kosovo precedent had influenced Russia's decision to recognize independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"When the issue of recognizing Kosovo's independence was first being considered and when the deadline for considering UN Envoy Ahtisaari's plan was ending, Russia warned that developments in the Caucasus could move in a similar direction, and that is what happened", Churkin said.
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday Moscow's decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states has no parallel with Kosovo's declaration of independence made earlier this year.
"In both cases the center started a war in Kosovo and South Ossetia, as well as Abkhazia, but the conflicts were halted in different ways - through the ruthless inhuman bombardment of Belgrade in the case of Kosovo and without punishing Tbilisi for its attacks on Sukhumi [Abkhazia's capital]," Lavrov said.
"A ceasefire was agreed, peacekeepers were deployed and mechanisms for talks established. Belgrade has never tried to use military force or cast doubt on negotiations since 1999, but they were destroyed by Kosovo Albanians supported by the West. And it was Tbilisi that undermined the settlement mechanisms in South Ossetia and Abkhazia," the minister said.
"Therefore, drawing parallels is irrelevant here, and the difference is evident between Belgrade's policy towards Kosovo and how Saakashvili's regime behaved towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Lavrov said.
Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Konuzin said on Tuesday that Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would not weaken Serbia's positions in defending Kosovo, and pointed out that Moscow would continue to strongly reflect the stands of Belgrade.
"As far as Kosovo is concerned, I hold that nothing has changed in that respect", the Russian ambassador said.
"Of course, there are certain analogies and this has been a topic of discussions for some time now, particularly since Russia warned that the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence and recognition of that independence created a precedent, but, unfortunately, no one would listen to us", the ambassador added.
In Bratislava, Slovakia's Foreign Minister Jan Kubishas has said that Kosovo independence is unacceptable for his country and that Slovakia will not change its position in that respect.
"We have no intention of changing our position in regard to our refusal to recognise Kosovo independence, and in this respect we are a minority in the European Union, but we believe that our position is the right one and we will persist on such a stand", Kubis said.
The ambassador of Malaysia to Serbia So Ching Hong said today that his country will support the initiative of Serbia to ask for an advisory opinion on the International Court of Justice on Kosovo's unilateral secession.
"We are a country which trusts the ICJ", the Malaysia ambasador said.
"Despite great pressure to recognize Kosovo, our leaders have decided to wait. The current position is that Malaysia will wait for the initiative of Serbia in front of the UN General Assembly", he said.
"Most of the countries of the Organization of Islamic Countries did not recognize Kosovo. I believe they did not do so because of their own internal interests, but also because Serbia has presented a good case in front of the Muslim countries", the ambassador said.