Determination of Kosovo status will become a precedent for the
unrecognized republics in CIS, RF Foreign Minister says
2007-12-08 13:11:00
ArmInfo. Any decision on Kosovo status will become a precedent for the
unrecognized republics in the post-Soviet area, Foreign Minister of the
Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov said, Friday. ‘Certainly, the way
Kosovo crisis will be managed will have a precedent. It will happen not
because we say so or because our western partners deny it. Neither they
nor we must decide it’, S. Lavrov said at a press conference in
Brussels after Russian-NATO Council when asked if Kosovo settlement
will influence the conflicts in Georgia.
He said many countries, including in the Balkans, follow the
developments in Kosovo. Those who think of taking undue freedom with
the international law, UN Statute, and Helsinki final act "must think
well before starting this very slippery slop that may be pregnant with
unpredictable consequences and will not add stability in Europe", the
minister said. He believes that the key obstacle to the settlement was
Pristina’s stand. ‘We are sure that the troika of negotiators for
Kosovo problem settlement has managed to carry out rather a useful
work. Direct negotiations were started. Belgrad made a number of
consistent, constructive and flexible proposals. There is a real
opportunity for an agreement on all the issues raised by Belgrad. Lack
of any response action by Pristina prevents resolution’, Lavrov said.
He reiterated his call on all those who say in public that Kosovo
independence has no alternative "not to block negotiations and allow
the parties to find mutually admissible stands." Since 1999 Kosovo
region has been formally remaining part of Serbia’s territory and under
management of the UN. Belgrad-Pristina negotiations for the final
status of the region continuing in Vienna with mediation of the special
envoy of UN Secretary General Marti Ahtisaari within the year 2006
brought no result. The problem was entrusted to the troika of
mediators. Aleksander Botsan-Kharchenko represents Russia in the troika
of international mediators Frank Wisner of the US and Wolfgang
Ischinger of the European Union. Kosovo
insists on independence, Serbia is ready to provide the region with an
autonomy status only. The report on Kosovo the "troika" will
extraordinarily submit to the UN Security Council says that Belgrad and
Pristina failed to agree on the future status of the region. After the
report is made, Kosovo will unilaterally declare independence, experts
suppose.