Russia warns the West to drop the pressure on UN chief
Russia described the possible unilateral declaration of independence in Kosovo as potential serious blow to the international law, warning the West to give up the pressure on UN chief Ban Ki-Moon to open the way for deployment of the European Union mission in troubled province.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, February 04, 2008
Russia warns the West to drop the pressure on UN chief
"We have to be perfectly clear about Kosovo. The EU and NATO are preparing a breakup of a sovereign state, which is not a member of those organizations. As President (Vladimir) Putin said - those countries do not have to pretend to be Gods," Moscow's ambassador to Athens Andreu Vdovin said.
The Russian diplomat said that the territorial integrity of Serbia has been secured by UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which open the door for deployment of EU mission in Kosovo, but only with prior consent of Belgrade, and possible agreement between Serbia and Kosovo Albanians.
"We consider pressure on the UN secretary general to 'bless' the independence of Kosovo and the mission of the EU unacceptable", he said.
The EU urged Ban to "open the gate" for deployment of Union's mission in Kosovo, but UN chief managed to defy the pressure, taking the quite neutral position mainly because secretary general has no legal authority to cancel existing UN mission in province and call Brussels to take over the international administration in province.
"We hope that the Security Council of the UN, the OSCE, other international organizations will evaluate the unilateral declaration of independence as an illegal act. And the international force, fulfilling the duties assigned to it by the UN, will annul the dangerous actions by Pristina leaders", the Russian ambassador said.
