Russia Hold Firm on Kosovo Stand

Russia Hold Firm on Kosovo Stand
Associated Press Online - June 23, 2007 Saturday 3:26 AM GMT

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS - Russia insisted Friday that Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs hold new negotiations on the province's future status without any promise of independence if the talks fail a stand strongly opposed by the U.S. and European Union nations.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin reiterated Moscow's rejection of a revised U.N. resolution that would delay internationally supervised independence for Kosovo to give the two sides more time to reach an agreement, and he said he won't negotiate on the text when experts meet on Monday.

The new text, sponsored by EU nations and the U.S., would give the two sides four months to reach an agreement. It states that the resolution's provisions, which lead to full independence, will take effect after 120 days "unless the Security Council expressly decides otherwise after conducting an evaluation."

The 15 Security Council members discussed the draft behind closed doors for the first time since it was introduced on Wednesday, and it was clear afterwards that Russia's adamant opposition remains a major stumbling block to its adoption.

While Kosovo remains a province of Serbia, it has been under U.N. and NATO administration since a 78-day NATO-led air war that halted a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999.

In April, U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari recommended that Kosovo be granted internationally supervised independence a proposal strongly supported by its ethnic Albanians who comprise 90 percent of the 2 million population, but vehemently rejected by its Serb minority, Serbia, and Russia.

Both Russia and China are concerned that having the Security Council grant independence to a province of a sovereign country would set a dangerous precedent. The Americans and Europeans insist Kosovo is "a special case" because of Yugoslavia's violent break-up.

Churkin said he expects Kosovo to be on the agenda when Russian President Vladimir Putin meets President Bush next month.

"The current draft text is not bringing us closer to an acceptable outcome of this process," he said, adding that the Russian view has support in the council.

"If things are going to go into effect automatically four months from now, what's the point in talking, especially in a situation where one side is satisfied with what is going to go into effect automatically?," Churkin said. "The most likely outcome is going to be four months of going through the motions, and then the plan which has not been agreed by the two sides going into effect."

But if there is a period of negotiations "after which the Security Council will again be able to seriously take up the problem and see where things are ... then we think the process has a very good chance of being successful," Churkin said.

Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Karen Pierce said most council members support the new text and countered that "there are no incentives" for further negotiations.