<http://www.iht.com/> International Herald Tribune
Russia says it cannot accept elements of Western draft U.N. resolution on Kosovo The Associated Press Saturday, May 12, 2007 <http://ad.fr.doubleclick.net/jump/europe.iht.com/index;cat=index;dcopt=ist;sz=120x600;ord=123456789?> http://ad.fr.doubleclick.net/ad/europe.iht.com/index;cat=index;dcopt=ist;sz=120x600;ord=123456789? MOSCOW: Russia said Saturday that it could not accept elements of a draft U.N. resolution on Kosovo worked out by the United States and European Union nations, maintaining its strong opposition to a Western-backed plan for the Serbian province's independence. "Of course, discussions with the document's authors are still ahead. But it's obvious that the draft resolution contains some elements which can't be accepted by us," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement. He said talks must continue to help reach a compromise between the Serbs — who want Kosovo remain within Serbia's borders, and the ethnic Albanians who seek independence. The United States and EU nations circulated a draft U.N. resolution Friday endorsing independence for Kosovo under international supervision despite strong objections from Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with veto power. Russia has warned strongly against putting a Kosovo independence plan to the vote, threatening to block it. Russian diplomats have avoided a clear statement on the question of a veto — alluding to the possibility, but making no firm statement. "As we have said repeatedly, a real settlement of the Kosovo problem could only be achieved on the basis of accord between the parties, the Serbs and the Albanians in Kosovo, not on the basis of some enforced solutions," Kamynin said. He added that Russia was pushing for "jointly determining next steps that would encourage a process of negotiations in order to find a compromise solution that would answer interests of global stability." The United States and the EU nations supporting the draft said they want swift action on the resolution, which would end U.N. administration of the Serb province in 120 days and hand over the supervised transition to the EU. NATO-led troops would remain to help ensure security and an international civilian administrator would be appointed. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, has circulated elements for a rival Security Council resolution calling for additional talks between officials in Serbia and Kosovo and stepped-up efforts to meet U.N.-endorsed standards, including protecting minorities and ensuring that Serbs who were forced to flee their homes could return to Kosovo. Although Kosovo is a province of Serbia, it has been under U.N. and NATO administration since a 78-day NATO-led air war that halted a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999. Last month, U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari recommended that Kosovo be granted internationally supervised independence — a proposal welcomed by its ethnic Albanian majority but vehemently rejected by the Serb minority, Serbia and Russia, which has strong cultural and religious ties to the Serbs. _____ Bottom of Form _____ _____ <http://www.iht.com/> International Herald TribuneCopyright © 2007 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com View <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/12/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Kosovo.php> article...
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