http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080117/ap_on_re_eu/un_kosovo_1
Associated Press January 16, 2008 Russia warns Kosovo on independence By EDITH M. LEDERER UNITED NATIONS - Russia warned Kosovo's leaders Wednesday that if they declare independence the territory will never become a member of the United Nations or other international political institutions. The United States and Britain countered by reaffirming their support for Kosovo's drive for independence from Serbia, a close ally of Russia. The council was supposed to discuss a report on the U.N. Mission in Kosovo, but instead the two sides replayed their debate last month on independence vs. autonomy for the Serb province, and neither side budged. With Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders expected to declare independence in late February or early March, the stakes were high and the key players sent top leaders to make their case again to the U.N.'s most powerful body — Serbian President Boris Tadic and Kosovo's newly elected Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Tadic echoed Russia's call for further negotiations, saying a solution that would provide self-government guaranteeing all rights to the Kosovo Albanians "is possible and attainable." .... But Thaci told the council that Kosovo — which has been run by the U.N. and NATO since 1999 — was not on the Security Council's official agenda on Wednesday - has laid the foundations to be a democratic state and independence is a "first step to regional success and our integration in the European family," according to a copy of his speech. Later, he told reporters "very soon we will take a decision, and we hope that very soon (the) international community will recognize us — Washington, Britain and other states." After the Dec. 19 Security Council debate, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad declared the views of the two sides "irreconcilable," and said it was time for an independent Kosovo, a stand backed by Britain, France and most members of the European Union. On Wednesday, Khalilzad told reporters: "We know where we are heading. There is no change with regard to the fact that the council is blocked." Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said that the future of Kosovo is a Security Council issue — not an EU issue — and said council members should prepare a roadmap that would "create dynamics that in our view would lead to a negotiated outcome." "We are respectful of the interest of the European Union to enhance its role in Kosovo, but that should not replace an international effort to find a mutually acceptable solution," he said. Russia's Churkin said he told the council that "legally speaking, any unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina should be declared null and void by the head of the U.N. mission there" because it violates the 1999 U.N. resolution and the U.N. Charter. He made clear that Russia, which has veto power in the Security Council, would block any attempt by an independent Kosovo to become a member of the United Nations. "Going down the way of unilateral moves, Kosovo is not going to join the ranks of fully recognized members of the international community," he said. "It may get some recognitions, regrettably ... but it's not going to come to this building as full-fledged member of the international community. It's not going to be able to join other political international institutions." ------------------------------------------------------ http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080117/wl_nm/serbia_kosovo_un_dc_4 Reuters January 16, 2008 An independent Kosovo can never join U.N.-Russia By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS - Russia on Wednesday backed its ally Serbia, saying Kosovo will never become a member of the United Nations or other international organizations if the breakaway province unilaterally declares independence. The two million Albanians in the Serbian province are expected to declare independence sometime after Serbia's presidential elections later this month. Serbian President Boris Tadic said in a speech to the U.N. Security Council that his country would never recognize a sovereign Kosovo, a view the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, made clear Moscow shared. "They (Kosovo) would not become members of the United Nations, they would not become members of international political institutions ... if they go down the road of unilateral declarations," Churkin told reporters. As a permanent veto-wielding member of the 15-nation Security Council, which would have to approve Kosovo's U.N. membership, Moscow would have the power to block any request from Pristina to join the United Nations. .... Both Churkin and Tadic urged the Security Council to continue working to find a solution to the Kosovo problem that is acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina. But diplomats say the time for such talks is over. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters the Security Council was blocked and no longer had any role to play on the issue of Kosovo's future status. Churkin disagreed. "The matter is firmly locked in the Security Council," he said. Western diplomats say Russia has prevented the council from passing a resolution that would open the door to independence for Kosovo. But Churkin made clear that Moscow did not feel responsible for the impasse and hoped the council would discuss his idea of a "roadmap" that could resolve the Kosovo issue. 'TWO INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES' The United States and the vast majority of the 27-nation European Union would recognize Kosovo immediately after it announces it has become a sovereign state, Western diplomats say. "Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence and will preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty by all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy," Tadic told the council, adding "Serbia will not resort to violence and war." Khalilzad welcomed Tadic's assurances and urged Belgrade not to use economic weapons like restricting the region's access to water or electricity. Kosovo's newly elected prime minister, ethnic Albanian former guerrilla Hashim Thaci, also addressed the council. Afterward he said Pristina would not wait much longer to declare independence. "I am sure that the decision will be taken very soon," he said. Thaci shook hands with Tadic in the council chamber. A reporter asked him to describe the moment. "We shook hands as the leaders of two independent countries," Thaci said. As the role of the United Nations in Kosovo shrinks, the EU plans take over U.N. police and justice functions, with NATO troops continuing to maintain order in an independent Kosovo. Joachim Ruecker, the chief U.N. administrator in Kosovo, indicated the province could to stand on its own. "Kosovo's institutions are now ready for the next step," he said. "If all sides have good will, I think we can achieve this." (Editing by Kristin Roberts) Serbian News Network - SNN news@antic.org http://www.antic.org/
