Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador to the United Nations
Photo: AP
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“I Didn't Slam the Door and I Didn't Storm Out”
// Russia's permanent representative at the UN did not mean anything
Scandal reared its head at a closed session of the UN Security Council on Monday. Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin unleashed harsh criticism on head of the UN mission to Kosovo Joachim Rucker for one-sidedness and “pleading for independence” for the territory. When the Russian ambassador spoke to journalists about his views, world information agencies reported that he had left the council room in protest. Churkin denies this, however. RIA Novosti New York correspondent Dmitry Gornostaev has the details especially for Kommersant.
Only two people were due t speak at the Security Council meeting on Kosovo. They were representative of the Serbian government Sanda Raskovic-Ivic and Rucker. Rucker presented a semiannual report on conditions in the territory with an evaluation of the security standards set under UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244. The session was closed. The German's statements can only be judged by the reactions of those present at the council room. Churkin was the first to share those impressions. He spoke emotionally and harshly, probably without recovering from the blast of criticism he must have unleashed on Rucker during the session.
It was probably that emotion that led one correspondent from an international news agency to report that “the Russian ambassador stormed out in protest.” That report was immediately picked up and distributed by electronic media. But the session had already ended when the Russian diplomat spoke to the press and consultations were being held. One attendee, British Ambassador Emyr Jones Perry, had left before Churkin. He had left silently and unnoticed.
Churkin explained to Kommersant, “In our view, the general secretary's report contained excessively optimistic assessments of the situation in Kosovo. And the presentation of the head of the UN mission [Rucker] was astonishing. Instead of speaking about his work and whether the mission is succeeding in achieving a peaceful and dignified life for the Serbs in the territory, practically all the time was devoted to exhortations that the Security Council must make a decision as soon as possible to give Kosovo independence. Even though it was planned for the general secretary's representative and Belgrade's representative to speak, it seems to me that that type of behavior [i.e., Rucker's] should not be allowed. Therefore, I took the floor and told everyone what I thought about it. I said that the attention of the world community cannot be taken off the situation around the implementation of the security standards and that the living conditions for the Serbian population were unacceptable. And that discussion of the need for the immediate independence of the territory is, at the minimum, too early and does not fall under the mandate of the general secretary's representative.”
According to Churkin, the session soon ended and unofficial consultations began among the members of the Security Council. “I sat there a little while,” he said, “but since I had already spoken, I left my deputy there, which is accepted practice – it happens often – and calmly left for another appointment I had scheduled.”
Churkin's colleagues in the Security Council, and Rucker himself, judging from his own statements, did not perceive any Russian demarche. Acting American Ambassador to the UN Alejandro Wolff commented that “We heard the same briefing and drew a different conclusion. Mr. Rucker gave a very balanced, objective presentation. He described the situation on the ground. He talked about the rights of minorities. He talked about violence. So we were very pleased with the report and said so.”
Rucker, appearing immediately after Wolff, looked harried. But that did not stop him from standing up for himself. He did not speak about independence for Kosovo, rather he used less specific wording such as “final status.” He said that serious progress has been made in Kosovo in democracy and market reforms and acknowledged that the Serbian representative's views do not correspond completely to his own. He called certain incidents “exaggerated.”
When journalists asked which incidents had been exaggerated, he rephrased his statement and said that they had been misinterpreted. He claimed that the Ahtisaari plan, which gave the territory all the attributes of independence except official recognition, had broad support in Kosovo.
Rucker then left the press conference, citing other engagements and soon Churkin returned, having discovered that he had left the council room “in protest.”
“I really did make a harsh statement. But I didn't slam the door and I didn't storm out,” he said. “Who should know better than you that the entire delegation has to leave for a real protest. But my deputy Igor Shcherbak stayed for further discussion.”
In any case, Russia does not intend to stop participating in negotiations, both in the Security Council and on higher levels. Churkin told Kommersant that “the recent negotiations in Vienna, in spite of the fact that they were considered unsuccessful, brought out a number of interesting proposals for the Serbs and for the Albanians, but the two sides didn't have enough time.” The negotiation will be continued and it seems as though there will be no UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo until they are completed. The Russian ambassador, who has veto power, noted that “The possibility cannot be excluded that some of the members of the Security Council will try to bring the case to the quick passage of a resolution to rubberstamp the Ahtisaari plan. Obviously, Russia will oppose that.”
Churkin's harsh statement came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov practically declared that Ahtisaari had to be replaced. Churkin also made it clear that Ahtisaari had exhausted his potential, at least in Kosovo. “We are not against Ahtisaari. We are for negotiations between the Serbs and the Albanians. If Ahtisaari says that the potential for negotiations is exhausted, and he can do nothing more, the conclusion is clear.”
The United States and European Union have expressed unambiguous support for Ahtisaari. Sean McCormack, official spokesman for the U.S. State Department, stated that Martti Ahtisaari “did a good job” and sought “constructive action” from all sides. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that Ahtisaari “has done a very good job in a very difficult and complex issue.”
Dmitry Gornostaev
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 21, 2007
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