Bulgaria, Malta, former US Ambassador warn against unilateral independence
Bulgarian Primer minister Stanislav Stanishev and Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo warned against the recognition of a possible unilateral independence of Kosovo, arguing that any solution on the future status of the Serbian province must be backed by a UN Security Council resolution.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, September 12, 2007
"A unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo poses the strongest risk for destabilization of the region", Stanishev said, adding that "such a move will deprive the international community of mechanisms for control and influence".
"Bulgaria also categorically rejects any ideas of ethnically clean Kosovo, partition of Kosovo, unification of Kosovo with another state, or disrespect of the territorial integrity of neighbouring countries (...) Such approaches could trigger a chain effect in other parts of the region and must be avoided", Bulgaria's PM said.
He underlined that his country stood for an internationally legitimate solution for Kosovo based on a UNSC Resolution.
Malta's chief of diplomacy also for caution with regard to the future status of Kosovo, expressing doubt as to whether Malta would be in a position to recognize a unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo without a United Nations Security Council resolution which would endorse it.
Frendo said that, while keeping in view the right to self-determination, even such a United Nations Security Council resolution which endorsed the independence of a state from territory "hived off" from that of another sovereign state without the consent of that state, in itself, would be a very exceptional procedure with possible far-reaching consequences, the "Malta Independent" reported.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton also said that the US would be wrong to recognize Kosovo's independence. He said a solution should be founded on an agreement between the two sides.
Bolton added that the State Department "had led anti-Serbian politics ever since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia," not distinguishing between today's democratic Serbia and that of the former Slobodan Milosevic regime.
"I think the U.S. would be making a mistake if they unilaterally recognized Kosovo. The only reasonable solution would result from talks between the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians. A potential imposed solution could lead to violence, which is in no-one's interests," warned Bolton.
In his opinion, the fact that "the Europeans are predominantly against a recognition of Kosovo independence without a Security Council resolution, could have a bearing on the U.S.'s position."
