http://www.azi.md/news?ID=40668
Infotag (Moldova) August 24, 2006 Russia Considers It Possible to Use Kosovo Precedent in FSU Republics The Russian Federation considers as acceptable the spreading of the Kosovo self-determination precedent in the former Soviet Union area. Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin stated in his interview with Russia's Izvestia newspaper published today that in case of Kosovo's sovereignization, being imposed on Serbia by Western partners, an obvious international law precedent will be created, which cannot help telling on other frozen conflicts. [Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Transdniester in the former Soviet Union] Karasin stated Moscow shall never let down its compatriots living outside Russia borders - no matter if they find themselves in humanitarian hardships or under a threat to their security. "Nowadays, peacekeepers are guarantors of stability in conflict regions and guarantors of security of the people living there, no matter their nationality", said the Deputy Minister. .... ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/08/24/kosovo.shtml MosNews (Russia) August 24, 2006 Kosovo Independence Fraught With Risks Russia A Russian government minister says independence for Serbias Kosovo province could set a risky precedent for other contested regions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said if independence of Kosovo is granted from Serbia, a clear precedent will be set in international law that cannot but be projected onto other frozen conflicts, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. This applies not only to the post-Soviet space, but also to other regions, Karasin said in an interview with Moscows Izvestia newspaper. Karasin said that unlike the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, Kosovo independence was being claimed not by a republic as part of a federation but by an autonomy as part of a federation. Serbs, led by the Belgrade government, and ethnic Albanians have been holding talks on who will govern the predominantly Albanian Kosovo, once the UN administration and NATO protection troops leave. The Serbian government wants to retain Kosovo as its province, while Kosovos ethnic Albanians insist on independence from Belgrade. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.geotimes.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=1439 Prime News (Georgia) August 24, 2006 Deputy Foreign Minister Of Russia Said That Kosovo Case Is Exemplary For Abkhazia Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister Of Russia said that the Kosovo case is an exemplary precedent for Abkhazia. Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister Of Russia said, the international precedent concerning sovereignty of Kosovo is very interesting, the absolute majority of citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have Russian citizenship. We will not leave our citizens without care, they can rely on Russias support in the military, humanitarian or security spheres. Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister Of Russia said, that concerning Georgias intention to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States, Georgia is a sovereign country and is eligible to make decisions independently. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.trend.az/?mod=shownews&news=26118&lang=en Trend News Agency (Azerbaijan) August 24, 2006 Kosovo independence could set risky precedent - dep. Russia FM À. Mammadov Independence for Kosovo would set a dangerous precedent for other "frozen" conflicts, a deputy Russian foreign minister said in an interview with a respected Russian daily Wednesday. Russia has consistently taken the position that sovereignty for Kosovo, which remains a province of Serbia under a UN protectorate, could have negative consequences for conflicts in the former Soviet Union that erupted in the early 1990s, reports Trend. "Should 'sovereignization' of the province [of Kosovo] be imposed on Serbia, as [our] Western partners are attempting to do, a clear precedent will be set in international law that cannot but be projected onto other frozen conflicts," Grigory Karasin told Izvestia. "This applies not only to the post-Soviet space, but also to other regions." The deputy minister said that unlike the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, Kosovo independence was being claimed not by a republic as part of a federation but by an autonomy as part of a federation constituent member. "Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transdnestr have the same status," he said, referring to two similar conflicts in Georgia and one in Moldova. He accused those who saw Kosovo as a "unique" case of either forgetting or deliberately ignoring differences in approaches to conflicts around the world. The West has supported the Georgian government's attempts to bring breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia back under its control, as well as Moldova's efforts to return unrecognized Transdenstr to Chisinau's fold. "This approach erodes trust in the international community, leading to chaos and instability in international relations," Karasin told Izvestia. "Needless to say, this is unacceptable to Russia." Russian President Vladimir Putin warned last month against any double standards in regard to the unrecognized republics in Georgia and Moldova. Putin said there had always been contradictions in the principles of international law. "Russia wants and will insist on such decisions to be based on a universal principle to prevent such cases when approaches to the regions like Kosovo are different from those to Abkhazia or South Ossetia, which is incorrect," the president said during a Web cast. Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
