http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11493512&PageNum=2
Itar-Tass May 3, 2007 Serbs may leave region if Kosovo gets independence-view UNITED NATIONS - In the event of granting independence to Kosovo there is a possibility that the few in number Serbs living in the territory may leave it, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said in an interview to Russian journalists on Wednesday. Churkin visited the region with a delegation of the UN Security Council in order to familiarise with the situation there. "It is perfectly clear that the Serbs do not accept the idea of Kosovo independence," the diplomat said. The view that the Serbs will begin to return if the independence is granted is obviously ungrounded. "Possibly, those few Serbs that had earlier returned will start to leave," Churkin added. In this connection the Russian ambassador to the UN expressed the view that in this situation it is necessary to continue talks. Moreover, "it is necessary to continue maintaining standards and it is necessary to continue to very seriously work on normalising the situation in Kosovo," he said. Therefore, it is inadmissible now "to just cancel resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council and proceed to something else," as is proposed in the plan of US Secretary-General's special envoy Martti Ahtissari. "In our view, first it is necessary to implement the decision that were adopted, it is necessary to have self-respect and only after that transfer to some other conversations," Churkin stressed. "The conclusion at which we had earlier arrived that it is inadmissible to force the 'Ahtisaari package' on the parties gets a confirmation," he added. Commenting on the briefing of Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations Johan Verbeke held at the UN Security Council, Churkin pointed out that "the understanding was expressed at the briefing of the fact that the Albanians and Serbs are not living together yet and fear and uncertainty persist in Kosovo."
