Russian diplomat insists Kosovo settlement must not be imposed
BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union (Political) - March 2, 2007 Friday

Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Belgrade, 1 March: Russia favours "a compromise, negotiated solution on Kosovo, reached without artificial deadlines", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov said in Belgrade today during meetings with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic.

"The fundamental documents which we adopted within the framework of the International Contact Group, not to mention Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, do not set any deadlines. We consider it premature to refer the question to the UN Security Council, because consensus has not been reached between the sides," Titov explained at a meeting with Russian journalists accredited in Belgrade.

"We consider it worthwhile continuing the search for points of contact, not necessarily on status questions but, for example, on problems connected with the provision of higher living standards in the autonomous province. We do not regard the work done so far in this area as an outstanding success, quite the contrary in fact. At the same time, one of the main stipulations of Resolution 1244 is the creation of conditions for the return of displaced persons and refugees to Kosovo. The results of the fulfilment of this part of the resolution are dismal. Before thinking about a new resolution on Kosovo and embarking on a discussion of it at the Security Council, it is necessary to analyse how effective implementation of the existing Resolution 1244 and decisions adopted by the International Contact Group has been. This is Russia's position. We believe that a final formulation of decisions on Kosovo must depend on the interested parties. The international community must help them in this and encourage compromise, but this does not mean that decisions can be imposed from outside," the Russian diplomat noted.

The action of one of the states in tabling its own draft resolution at the UN Security Council, without waiting for Serbian-Albanian compromise, was not discussed in Belgrade today. "We proceed on the basis of realities, and at the moment the reality is that talks are continuing in Vienna. I think", Titov continued, " it is very important to draw attention to the fact that acts of violence have increased in Kosovo. For my part, I stressed that the international community cannot give in to blackmail. What is starting to develop in Kosovo looks like blackmail by one of the sides which cannot wait to implement its own position at the expense of the other side's position. The Contact Group's documents state very clearly that neither of the parties to the conflict should be allowed to blackmail the international community."

Commenting on future steps to settle the Kosovo problem, he stressed that these "will depend to a large extent on the position of the UN secretary-general's special envoy". "Martti Ahtisaari has made several statements to the effect that he will inform the UN Security Council about the situation at the talks and will ask it to adopt a corresponding decision. We should wait for this stage and be sure that we are entering a new phase in the development of the Kosovo situation. So far this has not happened," the deputy minister noted.

Although the interested parties have noted "fundamental differences" over the status of Kosovo, in other areas "progress has been made in bringing the sides closer together during a year of negotiations", Titov believes. "At all events there is a conceptual understanding of the fact that many elements of life in Kosovo must be organized according to certain rules. The sides agree that the rights of ethnic minorities must be protected, and additional measures taken to protect cultural and religious monuments in Kosovo. There are many other topics on which neither has any objection in principle. It seems to me that work can continue on these matters. Despite all the claims by the sides that the talks have been ineffective, I would not describe the ones which there have been up to now as absolutely useless. I think we should take things one stage at a time and expand the areas, if not of mutual accord, then common understanding of various questions," he pointed out.

Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1842 gmt 1 Mar 07

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