http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=01&dd=14&nav_i
d=46919
Tanjug News Agency (Serbia)
January 14, 2008
Russian NATO ambassador fears Serbia divided on Kosovo
BELGRADE - If Kosovo declares independence, Russia
will demand a conference under UN auspices, Dmitry
Rogozin says.
Russian's newly appointed ambassador to NATO explained
that the gathering would be dedicated to the
protection of international law and setting up of
rules in cases where secessionist movements seek
independence.
In an interview with the Belgrade daily Glas Javnosti,
he told Serbia that it "has to remain resolute and
principled as far as the Kosovo issue is concerned."
According to Rogozin, the first and principal rule for
anyone seeking secession ought to be that they have no
right to use violence.
Then, the Russian diplomat said, those who have
already resorted to violence, "such as [Kosovo]
Albanians, with the blessing of their Western
backers," must first reconstruct everything they
destroyed.
The rules Russia would propose to such a conference
would also state that a secessionist movement that has
incurred damages to the state where they live must pay
full compensation to its victims, the Russian NATO
ambassador explained.
"And a very important rule would be that there must
not be any foreign military bases in the territories
seeking secession. With foreign bases present, only a
protectorate and an imitation of independence can
actually be obtained."
Asked whether a Russian demand to organize such a
conference "would suffice", he answered by expressing
hope that it would, particularly, as he put it, if
Serbia continued to be decisive, tough and principled
in refusing to accept Kosovo's possible declaration of
independence.
However, Rogozin said, he "fears that Serbia was still
somewhat divided concerning that issue."
Serbia may be heading for a change of the regime, the
Russian diplomat said, and if this happens, "the ones
to be held responsible for this will be Americans and
those Western European countries which, in cooperation
with them, are strangling Serbia."
According to Rogozin, even if Belgrade did not oppose
Kosovo's secession, the European Union "would have to
take into consideration the fact that tiny Kosovo is a
laboratory of drugs, and that by defending Kosovo
Serbs and preventing the authorities in Priština to be
transferred into the hands of terrorists and
criminals, it would be defending its own standards and
civilization values."
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
