Post by Fender on Dec 20, 2007 9:30:00 GMT -5
Kosovo issue discussion shows emerging crisis in EU - embassy
20.12.2007, 14.49
MOSCOW, December 20 (Itar-Tass) - The discussion of the Kosovo issue at the UN Security Council showed an emerging crisis between EU countries, officials at the Serbian Embassy in Moscow told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
"As the discussion of the Kosovo issue at the UN Security Council has shown, the key EU members are ready to resolve the problem in accordance with the Ahtisaari plan," a Serbian diplomat said.
"This plan is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia. Belgrade noted with satisfaction that not all EU countries were ready to agree to Kosovo independence. This shows a maturing crisis of the European community," he noted.
"The EU has once again to think about how the decision on possible independence of Kosovo might influence not only the situation in the Balkans but also the situation inside the European Union," he went on to say.
"Yesterday's discussion clearly showed how difficult the Kosovo issue is and how right Russia is with respect to Serbia and Kosovo. If there is no UN Security Council decision on the status of Kosovo and Metohia, any other decision will be put in doubt," the diplomat said.
The Embassy underlined that "Serbia is ready for negotiations." Belgrade is hoping that "reason will prevail and everything will be resolved in Serbia's favor, in favor of continuing talks with the Albanian side."
"If the UN SC does not make a principled decision, then a question arises: what kind of organization is that?," an Embassy official said.
On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council failed to reach a common view on the status of Kosovo and was unable to bring the positions of Belgrade and Pristina closer together. The Council discussed a report of the “troika” group of international mediators on the status of Serbia’s province behind the closed doors for three hours.
The report states that the four-month talks between Belgrade and Pristina brokered by the European Union, Russia and the United States produced no results. They began on the initiative of Russia after it refused to approve the Martti Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo at the U.N. Security Council. The plan provides for granting internationally supervised independence to the Serb province.
The discussion was attended by Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and the representative of the Kosovo Albanians Fatmir Sejidu. The sides hold diametrically opposite views on Kosovo’s future and don’t intend to compromise. The Serbian prime minister said his country would defend its sovereignty and insist that the talks be continued. The representative of the Kosovo Albanians reiterated that Kosovo would proclaim its independence unilaterally.
The European Union and the United States said the European Union and NATO were ready to take responsibility for Kosovo’s future. Their joint statement says the solution of the Kosovo problem should be unique and shouldn’t create a precedent for other situations.
The United States and Britain claim that with the absence of consensus within the U.N. Security Council and with a lack of agreement between the Serbs and the Albanians the plan suggested by U.N. special envoy Martti Ahtisaari remained the only possible option. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmai Halilzad said the U.N. Security Council resolution 1244, which authorizes the U.N. presence in Kosovo, allows for the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan.
However, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin came up with a different proposal. He suggests drawing up a 'road map' plan that might help Serbia's central government in Belgrade and Kosovo's Albanian government to move forward in their relationship, Churkin said Wednesday.
He said the Russian delegation has made public its version of a reviewed statement of the UN Security Council on Kosovo.
The version contains the idea of the 'road map' and Russian diplomats hope that other members of the council will join work on the document so that it might give a new impetus to both parties to the Kosovo conflict to go ahead with the talks, Churkin went on to say.
He mentioned the veiled statements made by some speakers at the Security Council's meeting, in which they suggested that their countries might take unilateral steps on recognition of Kosovo.
The Russian delegation once again analysed the international basis of Kosovo settlement and warned that any unilateral steps in this sphere will put the countries taking them into a direct confrontation with international law and resolutions of the Security Council.
20.12.2007, 14.49
MOSCOW, December 20 (Itar-Tass) - The discussion of the Kosovo issue at the UN Security Council showed an emerging crisis between EU countries, officials at the Serbian Embassy in Moscow told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
"As the discussion of the Kosovo issue at the UN Security Council has shown, the key EU members are ready to resolve the problem in accordance with the Ahtisaari plan," a Serbian diplomat said.
"This plan is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia. Belgrade noted with satisfaction that not all EU countries were ready to agree to Kosovo independence. This shows a maturing crisis of the European community," he noted.
"The EU has once again to think about how the decision on possible independence of Kosovo might influence not only the situation in the Balkans but also the situation inside the European Union," he went on to say.
"Yesterday's discussion clearly showed how difficult the Kosovo issue is and how right Russia is with respect to Serbia and Kosovo. If there is no UN Security Council decision on the status of Kosovo and Metohia, any other decision will be put in doubt," the diplomat said.
The Embassy underlined that "Serbia is ready for negotiations." Belgrade is hoping that "reason will prevail and everything will be resolved in Serbia's favor, in favor of continuing talks with the Albanian side."
"If the UN SC does not make a principled decision, then a question arises: what kind of organization is that?," an Embassy official said.
On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council failed to reach a common view on the status of Kosovo and was unable to bring the positions of Belgrade and Pristina closer together. The Council discussed a report of the “troika” group of international mediators on the status of Serbia’s province behind the closed doors for three hours.
The report states that the four-month talks between Belgrade and Pristina brokered by the European Union, Russia and the United States produced no results. They began on the initiative of Russia after it refused to approve the Martti Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo at the U.N. Security Council. The plan provides for granting internationally supervised independence to the Serb province.
The discussion was attended by Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and the representative of the Kosovo Albanians Fatmir Sejidu. The sides hold diametrically opposite views on Kosovo’s future and don’t intend to compromise. The Serbian prime minister said his country would defend its sovereignty and insist that the talks be continued. The representative of the Kosovo Albanians reiterated that Kosovo would proclaim its independence unilaterally.
The European Union and the United States said the European Union and NATO were ready to take responsibility for Kosovo’s future. Their joint statement says the solution of the Kosovo problem should be unique and shouldn’t create a precedent for other situations.
The United States and Britain claim that with the absence of consensus within the U.N. Security Council and with a lack of agreement between the Serbs and the Albanians the plan suggested by U.N. special envoy Martti Ahtisaari remained the only possible option. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmai Halilzad said the U.N. Security Council resolution 1244, which authorizes the U.N. presence in Kosovo, allows for the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan.
However, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin came up with a different proposal. He suggests drawing up a 'road map' plan that might help Serbia's central government in Belgrade and Kosovo's Albanian government to move forward in their relationship, Churkin said Wednesday.
He said the Russian delegation has made public its version of a reviewed statement of the UN Security Council on Kosovo.
The version contains the idea of the 'road map' and Russian diplomats hope that other members of the council will join work on the document so that it might give a new impetus to both parties to the Kosovo conflict to go ahead with the talks, Churkin went on to say.
He mentioned the veiled statements made by some speakers at the Security Council's meeting, in which they suggested that their countries might take unilateral steps on recognition of Kosovo.
The Russian delegation once again analysed the international basis of Kosovo settlement and warned that any unilateral steps in this sphere will put the countries taking them into a direct confrontation with international law and resolutions of the Security Council.