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U.N. DECISION ON KOSOVO NEARS AFTER RUSSIA TALKS
Sabah, Turkey
July 20 2007
The United States and Germany made one last appeal to Russia on the
future status of Kosovo before deciding on Friday whether to shelve
a U.N. Security Council resolution Moscow has threatened to veto.
At issue is a European-American sponsored draft resolution that Moscow
says will lead to Kosovo's independence from Serbia, which it opposes
without Belgrade's consent.
Few expect Russia to change its mind and allow the resolution to
be adopted.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in Lisbon on Thursday. Lavrov visits Berlin on
Friday for talks with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The sponsors of the resolution decided to wait for a decision until
after the Berlin talks.
Anticipating the result, Britain's U.N. ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry,
told reporters: "I can only conclude that we are not going to progress
in the council (so) we are looking energetically at the different
options."
Kosovo, where 90 percent of the 2 million people are ethnic Albanians,
has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombs forced
out Serbian troops that were killing and expelling Albanians in a
two-year war with guerrillas.
Under the draft resolution, the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia would
resume negotiations for 120 days. After the talks, the United Nations
would hand over the administration of the province to the European
Union, removing the issue from Russia's influence. NATO troops would
stay on.
But such a process is expected to be a long one and there appears to
be no unity on what to do aside from conducting more talks between
Pristina and Belgrade, which have so far failed.
Rice told reporters en route to Lisbon for a meeting of the quartet
of Middle East mediators: "We are committed to an independent Kosovo
and we will get there one way or another."
But she did not say how that would be achieved, with agreement of
the European Union, which provides the key financial and political
assistance.
'LIGHT THE FUSE'
The head of the Russian Duma, Boris Gryzlov, said in Montenegro on
Thursday that Russia would use its veto against a resolution not
backed by both Belgrade and Pristina.
He said such a resolution would set a precedent and "light the fuse" of
separatism in many places around the world: Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Spain, Britain and some African states.
One probable scenario is that the Contact Group of advisers on the
Balkans, composed of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the United
States and Russia, would facilitate 120 days of renewed negotiations
between Belgrade and Pristina.
No resolution is needed for holding such talks but the Security Council
would have to approve any withdrawal of the United Nations from Kosovo,
which would need Russia's consent.
Another way ahead was for Pristina to eventually declare independence,
ask the United Nations to leave and invite the Europeans into the
province. Independence depends on how many countries would recognize
Kosovo as a nation.
While the United States would extend some recognition, the position
of the EU is unclear.
One sign of hesitation is that Slovakia, a council member, withdrew
its name as a sponsor to the resolution but told colleagues it would
vote in favor. Its parliament is reluctant to be identified with
action promoting an independent Kosovo.
Kosovo leaders, disappointed no date was set for independence, have
hinted strongly they would separate from Serbia unilaterally. But
they could lose EU support if they do so.
Sabah, Turkey
July 20 2007
The United States and Germany made one last appeal to Russia on the
future status of Kosovo before deciding on Friday whether to shelve
a U.N. Security Council resolution Moscow has threatened to veto.
At issue is a European-American sponsored draft resolution that Moscow
says will lead to Kosovo's independence from Serbia, which it opposes
without Belgrade's consent.
Few expect Russia to change its mind and allow the resolution to
be adopted.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in Lisbon on Thursday. Lavrov visits Berlin on
Friday for talks with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The sponsors of the resolution decided to wait for a decision until
after the Berlin talks.
Anticipating the result, Britain's U.N. ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry,
told reporters: "I can only conclude that we are not going to progress
in the council (so) we are looking energetically at the different
options."
Kosovo, where 90 percent of the 2 million people are ethnic Albanians,
has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombs forced
out Serbian troops that were killing and expelling Albanians in a
two-year war with guerrillas.
Under the draft resolution, the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia would
resume negotiations for 120 days. After the talks, the United Nations
would hand over the administration of the province to the European
Union, removing the issue from Russia's influence. NATO troops would
stay on.
But such a process is expected to be a long one and there appears to
be no unity on what to do aside from conducting more talks between
Pristina and Belgrade, which have so far failed.
Rice told reporters en route to Lisbon for a meeting of the quartet
of Middle East mediators: "We are committed to an independent Kosovo
and we will get there one way or another."
But she did not say how that would be achieved, with agreement of
the European Union, which provides the key financial and political
assistance.
'LIGHT THE FUSE'
The head of the Russian Duma, Boris Gryzlov, said in Montenegro on
Thursday that Russia would use its veto against a resolution not
backed by both Belgrade and Pristina.
He said such a resolution would set a precedent and "light the fuse" of
separatism in many places around the world: Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Spain, Britain and some African states.
One probable scenario is that the Contact Group of advisers on the
Balkans, composed of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the United
States and Russia, would facilitate 120 days of renewed negotiations
between Belgrade and Pristina.
No resolution is needed for holding such talks but the Security Council
would have to approve any withdrawal of the United Nations from Kosovo,
which would need Russia's consent.
Another way ahead was for Pristina to eventually declare independence,
ask the United Nations to leave and invite the Europeans into the
province. Independence depends on how many countries would recognize
Kosovo as a nation.
While the United States would extend some recognition, the position
of the EU is unclear.
One sign of hesitation is that Slovakia, a council member, withdrew
its name as a sponsor to the resolution but told colleagues it would
vote in favor. Its parliament is reluctant to be identified with
action promoting an independent Kosovo.
Kosovo leaders, disappointed no date was set for independence, have
hinted strongly they would separate from Serbia unilaterally. But
they could lose EU support if they do so.