UN to debate latest Kosovo draft Monday

UN to debate latest Kosovo draft Monday

“The noises that we hear from Moscow are not encouraging, but we have not heard the final word. It is up to Russia whether the Council plays a role in deciding the next stage in regard to Kosovo or not,” U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said in a telephone conference.

"We are determined to move forward, either within the council or otherwise," Khalilzad said, without describing what steps would be taken if the resolution were not adopted.

The latest draft, sponsored by the United States and the Europeans on the Security Council, was circulated to all 15 council members on Friday and will be discussed on Monday.

But Khalilzad would not say whether he and envoys would force a council vote that might be vetoed by Russia, presenting the West with a dilemma over what to do if Kosovo then declared independence.

"We will decide that in the course of discussions on Monday," Khalilzad said, adding that the resolution's sponsors had agreement from a majority of the council.

In an effort to get Russian support, the draft calls for 120 days of negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, but drops an automatic trigger of Ahtisaari’s plan that would lead to Kosovo's independence, as contained in earlier drafts.

Khalilzad indicated the latest revision might be the last and said he would push Monday for a decision on whether and when to schedule a vote.

“The core of what we are proposing is in there and is not subject to further changes,” he said, except what he called “the wording at the margins.”

Khalilzad said Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin had not flatly rejected the draft, despite negative comments on Thursday from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He said Churkin had asked for clarification of some provisions of the text, but that the "core" of the resolution would not be changed, although some "wording at the margins" might be.

Khalilzad said if Russia continued to object "this will not stop the situation from going forward, but it will be outside the Security Council framework, which is not what we want."

Asked if Russia was threatening to veto the resolution, he quoted Churkin as saying, "I did not say rejection."

"We have to wait for the final word for clarity in regard to their position," Khalilzad said.