RF considers Albania’s proclamation of Kosovo independence illegal 10.12.2007, 17.28
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.itar-tass.com/eng/images/spacer.gif MOSCOW, December 10 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will consider Albania’s unilateral proclamation of Kosovo’s independence without the U.N. Security Council approval an illegal step, Russian representative to the talks on Kosovo Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said. “If Albanians proclaim independence and do not garner the U.N. Security Council support Russia will consider this step illegal,” the diplomat told Russia Today television channel on Monday. “This step will violate U.N. Security Council resolution 1244,” he added. “We will call on the sides and international mediators to solve all problems in compliance with law. This will be the essence of our approach,” the Russian diplomat said. Future head of a provincial Kosovo government Hashim Thaci said on Sunday that Kosovo “is ready for independence”, but ducked to say the final date of proclamation. The Kosovo Democratic Party, led by former field commander Hashim Thaci, was recognized as the winner of the parliamentary elections, held in the province on November 17. Thaci was instructed to form a future Kosovo government. “Kosovo was ready for independence from June 1989, and it is ready now as well,” Thaci said in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. “Additional periods would only make this process more difficult. If the U.N. Security Council is unable to take a decision on a final status of Kosovo, we shall work in close cooperation with our international allies so as to win independence. “My policy of cooperation with these allies is based not on a final date, but on principles of trust and mutual respect,” the leader of Kosovo Albanians said. “It’s high time to stop gambling,” Thaci said. “The time has come for making decisions which would give a new chance for peace, stability and prosperity in the western Balkans.” The time of talks between Kosovo Albanians and Serbian authorities on a Kosovo status, which is over, in actual fact, officially expires on Monday, December 10. On the same day, the U.N. Security Council will receive the report by the Trio of international mediators, consisting of the U.S., Russia and the European Union, on these negotiations. Its examination is scheduled for December 19. The leaders of Kosovo Albanians have urged the West to support their independence. The joint statement was made by the ruling party and the opposition on Sunday. “After eight years of uncertainty, the people of Kosovo needs clarify about its future right now,” the statement runs. The Kosovo Albanian leaders confirmed their adherence to the plan of Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Martti Ahtisaari, which was not approved at the U.N. Security Council. The plan implies internationally supervised independence of the Serb territory, which is predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians. The Kosovo Albanians voiced their readiness to cooperate with international partners in the solution of the Kosovo status’ problem. They also promised to honor rights of the Serbian minority if independence is finally attained. They said they would do their best to ensure tranquility in Kosovo. Western diplomats believe that Kosovo Albanians may proclaim their independence within weeks, presumably in the end of January. Then Kosovo Serbs, who reside in isolated enclaves, may try to unite with Serbia and thus trigger repressions on the part of Kosovo Albanians. Possible unilateral steps of Pristina “will set forth long processes with unpredictable consequences, clashes and conflicts instead of stabilization in Kosovo, Metohija and the whole region,” Serbian Minister of Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said on Sunday. An adviser to the Serbian premier said they should continue direct negotiations with the Pristina administration right in Kosovo. “Negotiations held in a city of the autonomous district would prove our compliance with the key standard: representatives of the Serbian administration and Kosovo interim institutions can freely meet in the territory,” he said. That step will send a message to Serbian refugees from Kosovo – it is time to return home, he said. “The Serbian government hopes that the U.N. Security Council will accept the Russian suggestion to continue the negotiations. Otherwise, a totally new precedent will be set,” he said. This is the first time in the modern history that the international community has encountered a dilemma: either to continue negotiations on such an intricate problem as Kosovo or stop them despite the will of one of the sides, he said. On Saturday, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica supported the Russian initiative to continue the negotiations. “Serbia is ready to hold the negotiations in any city of the autonomous district and Belgrade,” he said. “The Russian proposal fully meets the international laws and the key goal of the United Nations – compromises through negotiations,” he said. The United Kingdom hopes that the international community will reach an agreement concerning the Kosovo status despite the failed negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo Albanians, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband said on Sunday. He also said that both sides should abstain from unconsidered steps that might escalate tensions and cause violence. At the same time, Miliband referred to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who thinks that it is impossible to preserve the status quo in the Kosovo problem. Ninety percent of Kosovo residents want independence, Miliband said. The problem must be resolved one way or another, as inactivity is dangerous, he said. The secretary voiced hope that the international peacekeeping force, which was deployed in Kosovo in keeping with resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, would prevent the resumption of military operations and outbreaks of violence. There is no unity about the Kosovo status at the U.N. Security Council and the EU, which would discuss the issue at the summit later this week. Belgrade enjoys support of Russia, which is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. Four or five members of the EU, including Greece and Cyprus, object to the unilateral declaration of independence in Kosovo for fear of similar separatist outbreaks in other European regions. Meanwhile, EU High Representative for the Common Security and Defense Policy Javier Solana does not foresee the resumption of violence in Kosovo when the negotiations’ deadline expires on December 10. Neither party will risk security of the Balkans, he said. Solana said that both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians wish to develop closer relations with the European Union. The Kosovo status is of paramount importance for the EU, as the Balkans are surrounded by EU member countries, Solana said. He described Kosovo as a European problem that needs to be resolved for the sake of regional stability. It is planned to send about 1,800 European policemen, judges, prosecutors and customs officers to Kosovo for helping the local authorities, Solana said, adding that it was premature to say when Kosovo Albanians might declare their independence. The U.N. Mission in Kosovo, Kosovo police and the KFOR drafted a common action plan in case of racially motivated violence. There was an outbreak of violence in Kosovo 3.5 years ago, and 19 people died. All in all, the riots instigated by Kosovo Albanians hurt 954 people, among the KFOR servicemen and policemen. More than 4,000 Serbs were driven away from home, and the absolute majority of them are still refugees. A report of the Troika says the sides failed to agree on the future status of the Kosovo territory as neither of them wanted to waive its sovereignty. The Troika said the negotiations were useful although the sides still had fundamental disagreements about the Kosovo status. The report says that the sides have started to overcome animosity, Russian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin said. The report also says that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was serious, he added. The Troika noted through that they failed to achieve complete success, Churkin said. Russia expects the December 19 statement of the U.N. Security Council to continue negotiations on the Kosovo settlement, Churkin said. Churkin emphasised the readiness of Serbia to reach compromises and condemned Kosovo leaders for the unwillingness to be flexible. “Belgrade is ready to give broad powers to Kosovo as an autonomous district, up to the possibility to establish relations with international financial institutions, have its own police force and send athletes to international tournaments under its own flag,” he said. Serbia wants to preserve Kosovo under its sovereignty and objects to its recognition as an independent legal entity, which has the right to enter the U.N. and other international organisations. “Kosovo will be unable to attain that goal even if it proclaims independence unilaterally,” he said. Kosovo's status can be established only through negotiations between Serbia and Pristina, while any unilateral declaration of independence will encourage separatists in other parts of the world, Churkin said. “We know that certain capitals of Western nations and Kosovo are considering the unilateral declaration of independence. Russia thinks this opinion is totally erroneous, as it will destabilise the region and will not meet the political and economic interests of Kosovo,” he said. http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/images/spacer.gifhttp://www.itar-tass.com/eng/images/spacer.gif http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/images/spacer.gif http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12165424&PageNum=0 © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, store in any medium (including in any other websites), distribute, transmit, re-transmit, broadcast, modify or show in public any part of the ITAR-TASS website without the prior written permission of ITAR-TASS.
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