Great powers squeeze UN chief over Kosovo
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has been exposed to fairly intense pressure by world’s big powers over the future status of Kosovo, as Russia and the West entrenched behind opposing stances for the status solution.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, January 15, 2008
"One can understand that the Secretary General would like to abstain from any statements regarding Kosovo, because he has been under pressure from great powers," a UN official told KosovoCompromise.com ahead of the Wednesday debate in the UN Security Council, which will review
Ban's latest report on Kosovo,
Ban's decision to refrain from Kosovo-related messages came after months of firm support to a status proposal drafted by his special envoy Martti Ahtisaari and recent contrasting calls for further negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina and appeals to keep the process within the frameworks of the UN.
Initially, Serbian authorities firmly backed by Russia cried foul over Ban's support to the Ahtisaari status proposal, which failed to win support of the Security Council, but the latest pressure came from the West, equally, unsatisfied with Secretary General's call for more talks and solution agreed upon in New York.
Ban might miss Wednesday's debate in Security Council due to the previously arranged trip to Spain amid rising tensions over Pristina's statements about upcoming unilateral declaration of independence and firm Western support for such a move.
