PACE TURNED KOSOVO RESOLUTION UPSIDE DOWN
by Mikhail Zygar

RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
January 23, 2008 Wednesday

Europe has split into two when the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday were discussing the status of
breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo. Some voted for Serbia to retain
its territorial integrity and thanked Russian President Vladimir
Putin. Others said that Russia’s position is counterproductive and
Kosovo’s independence is inevitable. The original meaning of the
resolution drafted by Lord Russell-Johnston was reversed as the
assembly voted against Kosovo’s immediate independence.

Lord Russell-Johnston has been concerned with the Kosovo settlement
only in the past two years. "The initial draft of the report that I
wrote mentioned independence for Kosovo," he told Kommersant. "I’m
absolutely sure that this is the only way to break the stalemate."

But right before the session Lord Russel-Johnston amended his report
to defend the paper against outright negative reaction from those
delegations that oppose Kosovo’s independence. That’s why he did not
urge to recognize Kosovo’s independence but said that "the potential
for compromise is still not exhausted and alternative decisions
should be considered". What is more, he asked the UN Security Council
"overcome the existing controversy and come up with any sort of
solution" otherwise Europe should brace itself for Kosovo declaring
independence.

Presenting the report Lord Russell-Johnston said that Russia
which opposes Kosovo’s independence is being illogical. It supports
separatist regimes in Transdniestria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia but,
on the other hand, it denies Kosovo the right for independence. He
believes that Kosovo’s independence will not create any particular
disturbances nor will it become a dangerous precedent. He went on to
compare Russia with "a bear who is trying to crush a mouse only to
show his power".

Although Lord Russell-Johnston assured Kommersant that the revised
draft is very mild, his report caused a storm in the PACE. More than
50 delegates signed up to speak on the Kosovo issue.

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian delegation, got indignant
by the comparison with the bear. "It’s strange to hear this kind
of comparison from a citizen of Great Britain which has suggested
Russia amend its constitution and believes that the British law should
work on the Russian territory – I’m referring to the recent conflict
over the British Council." Mr. Kosachev believes that that it is too
early to say that there is no point in further talks. This kind of
statements will only let the Albanians know that they don’t need to
enter any talks with the Serbs as Europe is going to recognize their
independence anyway, he said. Mr. Kosachev concluded that the only
good thing that Europeans could do for Kosovo and Serbia is admit
the whole of Serbia to the EU and then Kosovo will have no point in
trying to go its separate way.

This idea sounded very fresh. The EU-hostile Radical Party has so
far been the only big ally of Russia in Serbia. Mr. Kosachev has
thus admitted that President Tadic’s Democratic Party is the only
valid source of power in Serbia as integration with the EU rather
than isolation could solve the Kosovo conflict.

However, there was no one else to go on with the Russian lawmaker’s
idea. Lord Russell-Johnston said later that everyone was so much
interested in their own arguments that they were not hearing what
others were saying. Half of the delegations spoke against the report.

"We are not talking about a unique situation," Britain’s Mike
Hancock, Lord Russell-Johnston’s fellow Liberal Democrat, said. "It is
dangerous to suggest that the Kosovo solution of UDI is not setting a
precedent. We are saying that, because there is no ongoing dialogue,
we should simply cave in, give them all the resources that they need
and create a failed state in the heart of Europe."

"We cannot say that all ways to find a compromise have been exhausted
if we don’t’ want to see a new war on the Balkans," said French
Socialist Josette Durrieu.

"My country has experienced the imposed separation of part of its
territory in the past. Violent separatist efforts were supported from
the outside and boosted by pressure from a segment of the international
community," said Czech Communist Katerina Konecna. "We know it under
the name of the Munich agreement."

"The countries that did not accept the independence of Chechnya at
the time have no right to accept the independence of Kosovo today,"
another Czech lawmaker, Tomas Jirsa from the European Democrats said.

Azerbaijan’s delegation vehemently opposed the resolution saying
that Kosovo would surely become a dangerous precedent and hinder the
Nagorno- Karabakh settlement.

Ivica Dacic, leader of the Serbian Socialists, Slobodan Milosevic’s
former party, asked why the Europeans are willing to grant independence
to Kosovo but refuse it to Corsica, Quebec, Catalonia, Basques,
Northern Ireland, Kurdistan, Palestine and Northern Cyprus.

"Thanks to Russia, the Duma and Putin!" the Serbian parliament’s
deputy speakers said finishing her speech.

When the deputies went out for a break Konstantin Kosachev looked
very upbeat. "The situation is fifty-fifty," he told Kommersant. "The
resolution may be passed and it may be voted down. But we shouldn’t
underestimate discipline among EU members." Dutch deputy Tiny Kox,
leader of the United Left, told Kommersant that the resolution
had already been "murdered". The judicial committee endorsed the
amendments that had already reversed its meaning. A key amendment that
was submitted by 12 delegates including Russia and Serbia took out the
phrase that talks reached a stalemate and the EU should get prepared
for Kosovo to declare independence to introduce a new one suggesting
new talks. Most delegates voted against calling the talks stalemated
and supported the idea of ordering new talks without attaching any
deadlines. But much to the dissatisfaction of the Serbia and Russian
delegations, Lord Russell- Johnston’s statement that the EU should
expect Kosovo to declare independence soon has not been taken out of
the final draft.

In other words, the majority at the PACE agreed with arguments of the
both parties indicating that they are against Kosovo’s independence
but admit that it is inevitable.