Russia's ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin
Photo: AP
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U.N. Security Council Heads to the Balkans to Decide on Kosovo
Envoys of the U.N. Security Council left for the Balkans yesterday. A day before, the Security Council focused on report of Jean-Marie Guehenno, U.N. under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations. The response of Russia’s and western diplomats was very diverse, but one thing is clear already. Russia’ will hardly OK Kosovo’s independence in the nearest future.
According to Guehenno, today’s Kosovo is quite a different place compared with late 1999 (when Security Council passed its Resolution 1244). The progress is evident and all color shades of grey could be used when describing Kosovo now.
Russia’s envoy Vitaly Churkin was the next to take floor. “We think Guehenno’s report too optimistic,” Churkin was straightforward, pointing out that only a marginal number of Serbs returned to Kosovo after events of 1999 and everything proves the Resolution 1244 hasn’t been accomplished to the end.
Nothing else but strict and complete execution of Resolution 1244 will create favorable conditions for effective negotiations of Belgrade and Pristina on Kosovo’s future, the Russian diplomat made clear signaling Moscow won’t yield to Kosovo’s independence in the near term.
So, the plan of U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari for giving virtual independence to Kosovo will hardly get through the U.N. Security Council. It enjoys the support of the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium and Slovakia, but is strongly opposed by Serbia and Russia.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 25, 2007
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