“Quintet talks” unacceptable for Russia

“Quintet talks” unacceptable for Russia

“Russia was not invited to this meeting. This fact is not consistent with the declaratory statements by our partners about their readiness to continue the search for compromises,” Kamynin said.

“Private discussions lead one to think about the preparation of unilateral scenarios for Kosovo independence,” he added.

“As far as we know, the quintet affirmed its support to the Ahtisaari plan as the only possible basis for a UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo,” Kamynin said.

“This approach is not acceptable to Russia,” he stressed.

“We firmly insist on further talks between Belgrade and Priština in order to find a compromise on the status of the province,” the diplomat said.

Contact Group, minus Russia, favors UN resolution on Kosovo

Contact Group member state representatives, minus Russia, confirmed in Paris late on June 12 their wishes "for a UN resolution to be reached" which will confirm Martti Ahtisaari's plan for Kosovo's independence, the French Foreign Minister said after the meeting.

Germany, the U.S., France, Italy and Great Britain "confirmed their desire for negotiations at the UN Security Council to continue without further delay in order to reach a resolution that will enable Martti Ahtisaari's proposal to be implemented," the statement said.

"We confirm our support for Martti Ahtisaari's proposal, which is the only solution that can ensure Kosovo the stability and clarity that it needs for the future," the statement said.

Russia, a member of the Contact Group, did not participate in the Paris meeting. Russia opposes Ahtisaari's plan and has threatened to veto a Security Council resolution on Kosovo.

UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for Kosovo's status "is the only way" and the international community considers "there is no turning back," U.S. senior official Nicholas Burns said in Paris Tuesday.

"This is the only road to take. We think that there is no going back," Burns, the U.S. State Department's Undersecretary for Political Affairs told a reporter in Paris, where he is attending a Contact Group meeting.

I believe that we will and should confirm at our meeting that Europe and the U.S. firmly support Ahtisaari's plan, Burns said prior to the meeting.

He also said that Serbia "lost Kosovo" in 1999 when NATO bombed Serbia. "This is why independence is our goal and I think that we can reach it. It is impossible to turn time back," Burns added.