Kosovo Independence Stalled In Its Tracks

Even while Russian is embattled she stands up for her friends:

US, EU allies drop UN bid for Kosovo independence
07-21-2007, 01h55
UNITED NATIONS (AFP)




Roma children play near a wall covered with graffiti reading, "Self-Determination," in the town of Prizren, March 2007. The United States and its European allies Friday shelved a bid to secure independence for Kosovo through the UN Security Council in face of a Russian veto threat and said they would hand the issue back to a six-nation Contact Group.
(AFP/File)

The United States and its European allies Friday shelved a UN bid to secure independence for Kosovo in the face of a Russian veto threat and said they would hand the issue back to a six-nation Contact Group.

Western nations have been trying to push a draft resolution in the Security Council to implement key provisions of UN mediator Martti Ahtissari's plan to grant "supervised independence" to the breakaway Albanian-majority Serbian province.

But they ran into opposition from Moscow, Belgrade's key ally, which has said it would use its power of veto to block the move.

Friday, Washington and its European allies agreed to drop their efforts in the Security Council and turn the matter over to the six-nation Contact Group instead.

The draft would have endorsed new talks between Belgrade and Kosovo's Albanian separatists over a 120-day period under the aegis of the Contact Group on Kosovo -- Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States -- and the European Union "to determine whether common ground can be found."

In Moscow, Russia's foreign ministry welcomed the decision to send the issue back to the Contact Group.

"We consider that the annulment of a vote on a resolution is the logical result of our active position aimed at creating conditions to prolong talks in order to obtain an accord between Belgrade and Pristina," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

And Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told reporters that Russia would attend a meeting of the Contact Group scheduled for next Wednesday in Vienna.

His US counterpart Zalmay Khalilzad however pointedly noted that although a member of the Contact Group, Russia had no right of veto in that process.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica hailed the decision by the Western sponsors to drop their draft resolution as an "important victory" for Belgrade and Moscow.

"A joint principle policy of Serbia and Russia has won an important victory in the UN Security Council by defending ... the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia," Kostunica said in a written statement.

He said it was a "victory of legacy over attempts to seize a large part of Serbia's territory."

But Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku expressed "regret" over the move at the Security Council, saying that handing the issue over to the Contact Group "would have an impact only if the process is unblocked."

The Kosovo daily Express meanwhile reported that Ceku had proposed to other Kosovo Albanian politicians to proclaim independence on November 28.

November 28 marks independence day in neighboring Albania but the date has been widely celebrated by the ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, whose country holds the EU presidency, said it was important for the bloc to have to a "common position" on Kosovo.

"We are already faced with a difficult situation" which could be complicated if "the EU is unable to maintain a position of coherence and cohesion," he said.

Churkin said he had been prepared to use his right of veto had the draft, co-sponsored by Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, been put to a vote.

The text would have turned over administration of the province from the United Nations to the European Union while maintaining a NATO presence.

French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said: "The people of Kosovo should be given the opportunity to realize their political and economic development. We are determined to assist them in that aim in the period ahead.

"We believe that resolving Kosovo's status must be achieved as soon as possible."

The French envoy also said EU foreign ministers would discuss Kosovo at a meeting on Monday.

Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since 1999, after a NATO bombing campaign helped drive out Serb forces carrying out a brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of the population in the province.



© 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.