UN COURT HEARS SERB BID TO CHALLENGE KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.12.2009 12:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The highest U.N. court starts hearings on Tuesday
to scrutinise Serbia’s bid to challenge the legality of Kosovo’s 2008
declaration of independence.

Kosovo declared formal independence from Serbia nine years after a
NATO bombing campaign drove out Serb forces to stop the killing of
ethnic Albanians in a 1998-99 war.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said the Balkan state hoped
the court’s ruling would help Belgrade put a halt to the number of
countries recognising Kosovo’s declaration and force Pristina to
re-enter talks about its future.

Most Western nations have recognised Kosovo’s independence, but
neither Serbia, its former ruler, nor Russia have done so.

Serbia wants the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague
to give an advisory opinion on the declaration’s legality.

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Rame Manaj was confident the court would
rule in Kosovo’s favour.

"We can live together with Serbia only as two independent countries.

Serbia deported half of the population out of Kosovo, has killed and
massacred more than 12,000 people … and because of all of these we
declared independence," he told Reuters.

"After the court decision we will have more recognitions and Belgrade
will not be able to stop them."

Observers say a ruling in Kosovo’s favour would lead more countries
to recognise its independence, while an adverse opinion could push
it into negotiating a settlement with Serbia.

Kosovo’s independence has been recognised by 63 countries, 22 of
which are European Union member states, but it will need many more
before it can become a full U.N. member state.

Nine days of hearings are scheduled before the 15-judge ICJ panel and
30 countries are due to make oral statements, including the United
States, Russia and China. Serbia and Kosovo will both make statements
on Tuesday.

Advisory opinions are not binding, but carry the authority of the
court as the principal U.N. judicial organ. An opinion is expected
in a few months.