| No UN seat for Kosovo "until Serbia gives up" |
| 24 November 2009 | 10:28 -> 16:28
| Source:
Beta |
PRIŠTINA --
The Kosovo assembly held a ceremonial session today to welcome former deputy UN special envoy in the Kosovo status talks Albert Rohan.
Also in Priština this Tuesday, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu awarded him the "Gold Medal of Independence".
This came in order to recognize the Austrian diplomat's "contribution to the freedom and independence of Kosovo and solving its status”.
Rohan was also scheduled to meet with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
More accolades will follow as he is set to receive a honorary doctorate from the University of Priština.
The Austrian deputy to the UN envoy in the talks, Martti Ahtisaari, was one of the authors of the "comprehensive proposal for the solution of the status of Kosovo", which the ethnic Albanians used as a basis to unilaterally declare independence of the province in February 2008.
The so-called Ahtisaari plan was rejected by Belgrade, but also Moscow, and was consequently never approved by the United Nations.
Addressing the assembly in Priština on Tuesday, Rohan said that a "bright future" awaits Kosovo, but that the ICJ process – on determining the legality of the unilateral declaration – "has slowed down new recognitions".
"Many countries have hesitated and postponed their recognition. However, the problem is that the ICJ decision will not be quite clear. The court's president himself said so."
Rohan went on to state that the decision "will speak about certain principles of international law", but also about "political realities, and in the end each side will say that its arguments were represented well".
"I cannot predict what will happen after that, but it is certain that this court case has stalled the recognitions. Of that I am certain," the diplomat was quoted as saying.
The future of Kosovo, he continued, "is in the European family", but he also predicted "difficulties" for Priština's ambition to join the UN.
"Kosovo will become a UN member when Serbia is ready to accept Kosovo's independence and give up its resistance to its UN membership," said he.
Rohan explained that his position on the issue was based on Russia's stance "to always support Serbia".
"Russia can veto Kosovo's UN membership, and this will go on until Serbia gives up," concluded the Austrian diplomat.
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