UNSC ambassadors address meeting on Kosovo

UNSC ambassadors address meeting on Kosovo

The Russian representative said that Pristina was neglecting and attempting to unilaterally change the agreement reached with Belgrade regarding the ZSO, and that it was doing this with the tacit permission of the EU.

"Pristina must immediately implement the agreement on the Community of Serb Municipalities, and that will be a litmus test of its willingness to meet its obligations - otherwise we will see the deteriorating situation in Kosovo and around it," said the Russian representative, stressing that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 was and remains the only the platform for resolving the situation in Kosovo.

The representative of the United States called on Belgrade and Pristina to immediately applying the Brussels agreements, including the agreement on the ZSO, arguing at the same time in favor of allowing Kosovo to join Interpol, and of reducing the budget of UNMIK.

The representative of the United Kingdom urged the leaders in Belgrade and Pristina to move from talk to action and implementation what has been agreed, but pointed out that the decision to allow Pristina to join FIFA and UEFA shows there was growing trust in the international community toward Kosovo.

As he said, that along with the recommendations of the European Commission on the introduction of visa-free travel for citizens of Kosovo show that conversations at the meetings of the Security Council "exist in a vacuum", while "Kosovo's independence is confirmed."

He said that the opposition violence has no place in Kosovo and that all Kosovo political leaders need to keep their promises.

He also suggested having fewer Security Council sessions and UN chief's reports on Kosovo.

The representative of France said that his country would continue to support Kosovo's efforts to secure international recognition, reminding that Kosovo was admitted to FIFA "a month before the European Football Championship 2016."

He also said that France supports admission of Kosovo to Interpol, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE.

He expressed strong support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and called for the implementation of all agreements within the Brussels dialogue, including the establishment of the ZSO, calling it the cornerstone of the dialogue.

He urged both sides to resume dialogue in order to bring new results in the next few weeks.

He also expressed his concern over the violence and intimidation by the Kosovo opposition, stating it was absolutely unacceptable.

The representative of France said the agreement with the Dutch government on the establishment of a war crimes court in The Hague should be ratified as soon as possible, saying it would be a clear demonstration of the commitment of Kosovo to establish the rule of law.

The representative of China said that his country supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, and, as did the ambassadors of Uruguay, Venezuela and Egypt, stressed that Resolution 1244 remains the legal basis for resolving all issues related to Kosovo.

Uruguay maintained its position of not recognizing Kosovo, while the representative of Angola also expressed support for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Dialogue has no alternative, said the representative of Spain, who expressed concern over the violence and problems in the political life of Kosovo.

He pointed out that agreements from Brussels should be implemented without delay, which includes the one on the ZSO.

The representative of Ukraine expressed concern about the internal political situation in Kosovo, the vandalism, threats and violence, warning that political tensions adversely affect any progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

He noted the lack of effort of Kosovo institutions in establishing the ZSO and urged Pristina to redouble its efforts in implementing what has agreed, noting that peace, stability and the promotion of respect for human rights, and the establishment of the ZSO should be UNMIK's priorities.

The representative of Japan welcomed the election of Hashim Thaci as president as a significant step towards democracy and said that Belgrade and Pristina should continue the dialogue and normalization of relations in the spirit of tolerance and mutual interest.