Serbia urges UNSC to prevent transfer of UNMIK authority, Russia wants more talks
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic urged the United Nations Security Council Tuesday to prevent the transfer of authority from existing UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, to the Pristina authorities and the planned EU mission EULEX, reiterating Belgrade’s earlier calls against the recognition of Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, March 12, 2008
"Resolution 1244 must be fully implemented. This is the only way to prevent a further deterioration of the situation on the ground. There must be no erosion of UNMIK's clearly defined mandate by the Security Council. Therefore we strongly demand that no further transfer of competencies from UNMIK to any other body take place," Jeremic told the council, just a day after EU announced that an advance team of its 2,000-strong mission has been deployed in Kosovo.
"It is a great pity that some European countries have joined in this dubious exercise. First, by recognizing the unilateral declaration of independence by the authorities in Pristina. And, then by establishing EULEX and the affiliated International Steering Group of countries," Jeremic said.
In addition, Jeremic urged the countries which had already recognized the independence of Kosovo to "reconsider" that move in order to protect the international system from dangerous precedents.
Instead of unilateral moves, Serbian foreign minister advocated the renewed dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as the only way to solve a decade long Kosovo crisis and protect the fragile stability established in Balkans after the years of bloody civil wars, which followed the breakup of former Yugoslavia.
American UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said that the talks about the future of Kosovo are "water under the bridge" now that parliament in Pristina has declared the independence and won the backing of more than 20 countries.
"More talks are needed...But, Belgrade has to accept the new reality in Kosovo...That there is independent Kosovo," Khalilzad said. "There are those in Serbia who believe that what happened can be undone...But, on this issue we strongly disagree on that."
Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said that Moscow reiterated its support for UNMIK and Resolution 1244, as well as further work on Kosovo matter, since the Russian warnings "unfortunately came truth."
"We see that Kosovo Serbs refuse to accept that. We see instability in Belgrade. We see instability elsewhere in the world...We proposed continuing of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina," Churkin said.
"There is no new reality in Kosovo. Rather there is a virtual reality...We have to work towards reality based on the respect of international law," Churkin said.
