Serbia back on Kosovo offensive, with Russian help
24 Feb 2008 17:09:25 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Douglas Hamilton

BELGRADE, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Serbia was back on the offensive over
Kosovo’s independence on Sunday, blaming the United States for crisis
in the Balkans while its ally Russia accused the Americans of
destroying "world order".

Three days after young rioters in Belgrade embarrassed the country by
attacking Western embassies and looting shops, Serbian Prime Minister
Vojislav Kostunica said it is Washington that is threatening peace and
stability.

In a strongly worded statement from Moscow, Russia also accused
Washington of trampling on international law.

"The United States must annul the decision to recognize a false state
on the territory of Serbia," Kostunica said. "It must reaffirm U.N.
Security Council resolution 1244, which guarantees Serbia’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity."

"Continuation of the policy of force will deepen the crisis that
undermines the foundations of world order and threatens peace and
stability in the Balkans," he said. Serbia has expressed official
regret for riots last Thursday during which the U.S. embassy was
attacked and set on fire. The mission sent dependents and support staff
to Croatia for safety.

This week, Serbia is getting high-level support from Moscow. Kostunica
is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin’s likely successor,
Dmitry Medvedev, on Monday.

The Russian foreign ministry, in a statement, again demanded a
"compromise" on Kosovo, which diplomats believe is headed for
partition, although Serbia has never formally proposed it.

"Do support for the Kosovo Albanian side alone, contempt for law for
the sake of so-called ‘political expediency’, and indifference to the
fate of a hundred thousand Serbs who… are effectively being driven
into a ghetto not amount to flagrant cynicism?" it said.

"Is it not cynical that the Serb people is being openly humiliated
while Belgrade is being promised a Euro-Atlantic future if it agrees to
the carve-up of Serbia?"

The foreign ministry statement recalled that Russia had a peacekeeping
contingent in Kosovo from 1999 to 2004, under the aegis of the NATO-led
KFOR force which has 17,000 troops there.

"It was withdrawn due to our fundamental disagreement with bias
favouring one side in Kosovo matters…" the ministry said.

Instead of supporting Kosovo Albanian independence and other actions
"destroying world order", there must be a "a decision based on law and
compromise between Belgrade and Pristina", the ministry statement said.

It did not say what compromise Russia has in mind. But on the ground in
Kosovo, ethnic Serbs in the north are making steady efforts to resist
the authority of the new state and its Western backers, with the
support of Serbia and Russia.

Russia has not yet openly proposed a return of Russian troops to
Kosovo. But is U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin has warned that it will
not stand by and allow Kosovo Serbs to be forced to accept the rule of
the new republic.