Russia: Unilateral independence would set off a “chain reaction” around the world
Russia has warned on Tuesday that a unilateral independence of Kosovo would destabilise Europe and set off a “chain reaction” around the world.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"I don't see how a unilateral recognition of independence of Kosovo can stabilise the situation in Europe ," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Moscow.
It would mark the beginning of a chain reaction in different parts of the world, he stressed, and added that "Russia wants to avoid such a scenario."
Lavrov warned that "if someone keeps saying that a declaration of independence is inevitable, this will not encourage the Kosovo Albanians to negotiate."
However, if Belgrade and Pristina were called on to reach an agreement, the chances are "not bad", the Russian minister said. He added that they should tackle and not haggle over the Kosovo issue.
Russia has repeatedly said that it will oppose any solution on Kosovo status that is not acceptable to Serbia. It has also said Kosovo is no different from other breakaway regions, such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
After 13 months of talks with no agreement, Moscow earlier this year blocked a U.S.-backed U.N. resolution calling the independence for Kosovo under EU supervision.
The U.S. hinted it would recognise a declaration of independence of Kosovo if no agreement was reached by December 10.
Kouchner, who was once the chief of the UN mission in Kosovo, said he hoped "the two sides and the troika can arrive at some sort of minimal consensus", which would return the issue to the UN.
Asked what would happen on December 11, the French foreign minister said: "Obviously nothing".
"The Troika will deliver its report to (UN Secretary General) Ban Ki-moon and all solutions will be reached there," Kouchner said.
