Russia sees no point in talks on new Kosovo draft
Reuters - Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:41PM BST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia sees no point in joining discussions about a new resolution on Kosovo in the United Nations unless the draft is radically changed, Interfax news agency quoted a senior diplomat as saying on Friday.

"Without changes on questions which are of fundamental importance for us, which we have already explained to our partners, we see no necessity to take part in a cosmetic editing (of the draft resolution)," Interfax quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov as saying.

The draft was drawn up by the United States and European countries in an attempt to win support from Russia, which has threatened to veto previous drafts that would have set the province on the path to independence from Serbia.

The document sidesteps the issue of independence, providing for another four months of talks between leaders of Serbia and Kosovo with the Security Council to review the results at the end of that period.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday attacked the new draft, saying that, behind diplomatic niceties, it amounted to the same plan to grant Kosovo independence that Russia has consistently opposed.

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