U.S., EU Kosovo draft resolution unacceptable to Russia – envoy
21:10 | 11/ 05/ 2007
UN, May 11 (RIA Novosti) – A draft resolution on Kosovo sponsored by
the EU and U.S. is unacceptable to Moscow, a deputy Russian
representative to the UN said Friday.
The draft resolution calling for the independence of Yugolsavia’s
breakaway province was submitted by France, the U.K., Germany and the
United States. Russia is categorically opposed to the independence
plan.
"The draft is based on the Ahtisaari plan and is unacceptable to
Russia," Konstantin Dolgov said, adding that no date for first
consultations has been set yet.
"We hope that Russia’s position will find support among other UN
Security Council members," he said.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN said Thursday that Russia has drafted
its own Kosovo settlement plan.
"There are two documents on the table," Vitaly Churkin said, referring
to the Russian plan and the one submitted by the U.S., France, the
U.K. and Germany.
Russia insists that negotiations between the Serbs and the ethnic
Albanian majority in Kosovo go on, and that ethnic minorities in the
region are guaranteed reliable security.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said that the
Kosovo issue should be resolved without delay, or else the region
would experience growing instability. He said the Ahtisaari plan was
not ideal, but that it could pave the way for Serbia and Kosovo’s
European integration.
Churkin said the Western plan cannot serve as a basis for a durable
settlement.
Kosovo has been torn by ethnic tensions since 1999, when NATO troops
moved in to stop what had been seen as ethnic cleansing of the
predominantly Muslim Albanian population of the region by Serbs.
While the Albanians have since demanded full independence, the
sizeable Orthodox Serb minority has complained that their lives and
holy places would be at risk under the proposed setup.
Russia has repeatedly stated it will only support a deal respecting
the interests of all parties concerned.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
