Politics
Kosovo: Serbian president calls for more talks
New York, 17 Jan. (AKI) – Serbian president Boris Tadic has urged the United Nations to support further talks on the future of Kosovo, while Russia has vowed to block any unilateral declaration of independence by majority ethnic Albanians.
Tadic told the UN Security Council on Wednesday Serbia would never recognise Kosovo independence and would defend its sovereignty over the province by “all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy”.
But he added that “Serbia will never resort to violence and war” over Kosovo.
Serbia’s ally Russia, which has already blocked independence moves in the Security Council, has backed Serbia’s demand to continue negotiations until a mutually acceptable solution is found.
“Serbia will never recognise Kosovo’s independence and will preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty by all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy”, Tadic told the Security Council.
Tadic was speaking as the Security Council met to review the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). It was immediately followed by a closed-door session that included mission chief Joachim Rücker and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Kosovo would never become a member of the United Nations if itmoved to declare independence unilaterally.
“They 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 said.
The US and most European Union countries support Kosovo independence, but Russia, which has a veto power as a permanent member of the Council, has repeatedly opposed the move.
But the newly elected Kosovo prime minister, Hasim Taci, told journalists ethnic Albanians would soon unilaterally declare independence.
“Kosovo is ready and united and we will very soon make a decision in coordination with Washington and Brussels,” Taci said.
Kosovo has been under UN control since 1999 and the EU is planning to replace the UN mission in the province, but Tadic warned it couldn’t be done without the approval of the Security Council.
The US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said “the Security Council is blocked” and can no longer do anything about Kosovo. He said a plan by the former UN negotiator Martti Ahtisaari, which provides for internationally supervised independence, was the best solution for Kosovo status.
Tadic disputed an optimistic report by the chief UN administrator in Kosovo Joachim Ruecker, pointing out that 250,000 Serbs have been expelled from Kosovo since 1999, and those remaining have been exposed to violence and deprived of basic human rights.
Tadic said that since 1999 there had been 7,000 ethnically motivated incidents with 581 Serbs killed, 841 kidnapped and 960 wounded.
In addition, 104 members of other minorities had been killed, almost 18,000 homes destroyed and 27,000 apartments and homes usurped by ethnic Albanians, he said.
“This is the basic proof that Kosovo isn’t building a multiethnic society,” Tadic concluded.
Tadic told the UN Security Council on Wednesday Serbia would never recognise Kosovo independence and would defend its sovereignty over the province by “all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy”.
But he added that “Serbia will never resort to violence and war” over Kosovo.
Serbia’s ally Russia, which has already blocked independence moves in the Security Council, has backed Serbia’s demand to continue negotiations until a mutually acceptable solution is found.
“Serbia will never recognise Kosovo’s independence and will preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty by all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy”, Tadic told the Security Council.
Tadic was speaking as the Security Council met to review the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). It was immediately followed by a closed-door session that included mission chief Joachim Rücker and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Kosovo would never become a member of the United Nations if itmoved to declare independence unilaterally.
“They 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 said.
The US and most European Union countries support Kosovo independence, but Russia, which has a veto power as a permanent member of the Council, has repeatedly opposed the move.
But the newly elected Kosovo prime minister, Hasim Taci, told journalists ethnic Albanians would soon unilaterally declare independence.
“Kosovo is ready and united and we will very soon make a decision in coordination with Washington and Brussels,” Taci said.
Kosovo has been under UN control since 1999 and the EU is planning to replace the UN mission in the province, but Tadic warned it couldn’t be done without the approval of the Security Council.
The US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said “the Security Council is blocked” and can no longer do anything about Kosovo. He said a plan by the former UN negotiator Martti Ahtisaari, which provides for internationally supervised independence, was the best solution for Kosovo status.
Tadic disputed an optimistic report by the chief UN administrator in Kosovo Joachim Ruecker, pointing out that 250,000 Serbs have been expelled from Kosovo since 1999, and those remaining have been exposed to violence and deprived of basic human rights.
Tadic said that since 1999 there had been 7,000 ethnically motivated incidents with 581 Serbs killed, 841 kidnapped and 960 wounded.
In addition, 104 members of other minorities had been killed, almost 18,000 homes destroyed and 27,000 apartments and homes usurped by ethnic Albanians, he said.
“This is the basic proof that Kosovo isn’t building a multiethnic society,” Tadic concluded.
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