Russia: Kosovo process at "critical point", risk of "uncontrolled crisis"
Russia has warned on Monday that the situation regarding the resolution of the Kosovo status has "reached a critical point" and risked to turn into an "uncontrolled crisis".
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, December 17, 2007
By supporting Pristina's separatism, the US and some EU countries are openly ignoring the positive results made during the Troika process of the Contact Group, the Russian ministry for Foreign Affairs said on Monday, just two days ahead of a key UN SC debate on Kosovo.
"The situation risks moving towards an uncontrolled crisis if its resolution does not stay within the international legal framework", the statement said.
It also criticized restless attempts "to find pseudo-arguments as masks for unilateral activities".
"Our partners, which are used to take only the obligations of Belgrade and not of Pristina from the UN SC resolution 1244, are now trying to turn it upside-down and argue that the resolution does not close the door to Kosovo's independence and that it allows a decision, outside of the UN SC and without agreement of the sides, to change the international presence", the ministry added.
"Such a unilateral interpretation of the resolution of the UN SC is undermining the authority of the UN SC in the resolution of the crisis", it said, warning that the tactics involve manipulating the UN leadership into "legitimizing future unlawful acts".
"We are convinced that no one will fall pray to blackmail. It is about the UN authority, and the resolution of the Kosovo question cannot be made outside of the Security Council - the main organ of the UN, which is responsible for international peace and security", the Russian ministry said.
Moscow has also expressed worry about plans by the international community in Kosovo which urge repressive measures "against those who are opposed to Kosovo's independence".
"Instead of restraining separatists, they are getting ready to restrain those who are against. This is a direct violation of the mandate of these forces, which excludes actions on behalf of one side, and it is a road towards their direct confrontation with the non-Albanian population of the province", the Russian ministry warned.
