Medvedev: Russia will help Kosovo remain part of Serbia
Russia and Serbia stood firmly in defense of Belgrade’s territorial integrity Monday, pledging to continue the coordinated effort to annul the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, which has been strongly backed by the United States-led pack of Western nations.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, February 26, 2008
In a sign of Moscow's continued support, a Russian delegation led by the most likely future president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, promised to stand by Serbia in its diplomatic struggle over the future status of Kosovo.
"The actions behind Kosovo's split destroy the international security system, the international legal system, which mankind formed more than 100 years ago," Medvedev said after a series of meetings with Belgrade's high-ranking officials in Belgrade.
"We noticed that the independence declaration by Kosovo truly complicated the situation in the region, in south-eastern Europe, and impacts on all other regions and countries with territorial problems," he said.
Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on one and Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on behalf of Belgrade authorities agreed to deal with the controversial issue of Kosovo's status in a "coordinated manner".
"As far as Serbia is concerned, there is no false state on our territory. We, along with Russia and all other nations that keep the preservation of fundamentals of the international law close to their hearts, will continue our struggle to annul that decision within the frameworks of the UN Security Council", Kostunica said.
"I am convinced that there will be no stability in the region nor in the world until Kosovo's independence declaration is annulled."
Responding to the recent exchange of harsh words with the State Department, Serbian Prime Minister said Serbia would not normalize diplomatic relations with the countries that have recognized the independent Kosovo, until such a decision is declared null and void.
The Russian delegation was the first to visit Belgrade after Kosovo's unilateral declaration of secession on February 17, and a massive rally held in Serbian capital in protest against the "violation of international law."
