---------- -[The West's support of Kosovo secession] will not lead to peace and stability either in the Balkans or beyond the region, in view of simmering conflicts in Europe and in other parts of the world. Strangely and regrettably, western nations are ignoring these realities; they prefer to tear Kosovo away from Serbia, the deciding factor being the desire to humiliate Belgrade and Russia.
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=13748&cid=67&p=17.07.2007 Voice of Russia July 18, 2007 Russia to reject new Kosovo resolution Veto-wielding Russia will reject a new resolution by the UN Security Council, which proposes granting Kosovo independence without Serbia's consent, the Russian envoy to the UN said on Tuesday. The latest draft resolution on Kosovo, proposed by the United States, Britain, and France, gives Belgrade and Pristina four months to settle their differences. If they fail to agree, Kosovo is to be granted independence without the approval of Belgrade in accordance with the revised proposal of UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari. "We believe that Ahtisaari's plan is flawed. New impartial talks are needed with a new independent mediator," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said after a closed session of the UN Security Council. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=13806&cid=67&p=18.07.2007 Voice of Russia July 18, 2007 EU SEEKS KOSOVO SOLUTION OUTSIDE THE UN Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and America have jointly submitted to UN Security Council a fresh draft of a resolution on the future status of Kosovo. According to available information, the new draft is a retouched version of the one that had earlier been circulated among members of the Council. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov has already said that the latest draft is unacceptable: The major issue is that the problem of the fore-solution of the independence of Kosovo has not been removed from the day's agenda. Despite flowery and cunning diplomatic language in which the new draft is clothed, the idea of granting Kosovo independence irrespective of whether Belgrade and Pristina have reached mutually acceptable agreement after 120 days negotiations, is easily understood. It is the kernel of the Ahtisaari plan, said Lavrov. Moscow remains convinced that a durable and enduring solution of the Kosovo problem can be achieved only when Belgrade and Pristina have found a mutually acceptable compromise. Any other solution will amount to the trampling under foot of the will of one of the feuding parties, and that will not lead to peace and stability either in the Balkans or beyond the region, in view of simmering conflicts in Europe and in other parts of the world. Strangely and regrettably, western nations are ignoring these realities; they prefer to tear Kosovo away from Serbia, the deciding factor being the desire to humiliate Belgrade and Russia. Significantly, the possibility of solving the Kosovo cliff-hanger problem outside the UN began to do the rounds as the new draft resolution was being presented to the Security Council The EU spokesman on foreign affairs and security, Javier Solana, has proposed that future dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should be held under the auspices of the contact group, comprising the U.S, Russia, France, Italy, Germany and Britain. The calculation is obvious: in contrast to the Security Council, Russia has no veto power in the contact group and hence the Kosovo problem can be solved without bothering about Russian opposition. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=13800&cid=67&p=18.07.2007 Voice of Russia July 18, 2007 Serbia: Kosovo not an exchange coin Serbia does not want to use Kosovo as small change in its effort to join the European Union. The Serbian Ambassador to Russia Statimir Vukicevic says unilateral recognition of the sovereignty of Kosovo will torpedo regional stability. Serbian President Vojislav Kostunica says Belgrade is ready to grant Kosovo more autonomy but will not let it go even if Serbia gets admitted to the European Union.
