Kosovo: Russia and US adopt opposite views on independence
The Hague, 8 Dec. (AKI) - The United States and Russia on Tuesday took opposite positions regarding the independence of Kosovo in arguments before the International Court of Justice. At the request of the United Nations general assembly, the court is assessing the legality of its unilateral declaration of independence, which Serbia opposes. Kosovo - once a province of Serbia - declared independence in February 2008. The court is expected to make a non-binding ruling next year. Twenty eight countries are presenting their verbal views on the issue before the court and are split equally both for and against independence. The US has spearheaded the independence drive, but Russia has threatened to veto the move in the UN Security Council. “The US calls on the ICJ to leave the declaration of independence untouched as an expression of will of the Kosovar people,” US representative Harold Hongju Koh told the panel of 15 judges. He said the declaration was not contrary to international law, as its opponents have claimed, and that Kosovo should be treated as a “special case”, because ethnic Albanians had been subjected for years to a “campaign of violence” carried out by Serbia. But Russian representative Kyril Gevorgian said that international law “prevents Kosovo from declaring independence”, because ethnic minorities have no right to secession and ethnic Albanians are a minority in Serbia. Gevorgian said that under UN Security Council resolution 1244, in which Kosovo was placed under UN control in 1999, clearly stated that Kosovo was part of Serbia and guaranteed Serbia’s territorial integrity. A total of 63 countries, including the US and leading European Union members, have recognised Kosovo. http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4083352573 __._,_.___
