India "appears tilted" toward views of Russia, China on Kosovo - paper
BBC Monitoring South Asia (Political) - February 19, 2008 Tuesday

Text of report by special correspondent headlined "Kosovo: India weighing options" published by Indian newspaper The Hindu website on 19 February

New Delhi: With battle lines drawn over Kosovo declaring full independence from Serbia, India is actively considering its stand and appears tilted towards the view taken by Russia, China and some European countries.

"We have taken note of the unilateral declaration of Independence by Kosovo. There are several legal issues involved in this declaration. We are studying the evolving situation," said the Foreign Office. India pointed out that recognition was given to a country with a defined territory (which is in dispute with respect to Kosovo), a duly accepted government (the Kosovo administration is interim) which has control over an area of governance (not so on Kosovo's case).

"It has been India's consistent position that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be fully respected by all states. We have believed that the Kosovo issue should have been resolved through peaceful means and through consultation and dialogue between the concerned parties," added the Foreign Office, leaving little doubt about India's sympathies.

"It will be interesting to see which side India will opt for. Both need India's support which is yet to spell out its position," said a foreign diplomat. While the US and most of the European Union have opted to support Kosovo's declaration of independence, Serbia, along with China, Russia, Spain and Cyprus, is in opposition to a unanimous resolution by Kosovo's Parliament marked by a boycott by representatives of Serbian and other ethnic minorities.

The diplomat pointed out that India's position on Kosovo would be eagerly awaited and could not be taken for granted. It had surprised its old allies after voting for a US-promoted International Atomic Energy Agency resolution on Iran, breaking ranks with Malaysia and South Africa and differing with the stand taken by abstainers Russia and China.

Serbia has already complained to United Nations that Kosovo's declaration of independence is a unilateral secession of part of its territory and "does not produce any legal effect either in the Republic of Serbia or in the international legal order."

Russia has sought an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council to declare the Kosovo declaration null and void. China, too, is not in favour and snubbed Taiwan, which has supported the independence resolution.

On the other, the US and several of its European allies including Britain, France, Germany and Italy, which have been engaged in a war of words with Russia for some time over Kosovo's independence, have warmly supported the resolution. Torn between opposing demands, the UN and EU have counselled restraint.

Source: The Hindu website, Chennai, in English 19 Feb 08
Posted for Fair Use only.