"The urge for the quick solution of the Kosovo issue is highly concerning"

"The urge for the quick solution of the Kosovo issue is highly concerning"

"Unless it is about imposing one that is not acceptable to Belgrade, like recognizing Kosovo's independence," Botsan-Kharchenko says.

"The urge for a quick solution is worrying. It resembles the restoration of well-known timeframes that caused previous talks on Kosovo to fail. I refer to the Ahtisaari's talks and the trilateral talks," Botsan-Kharchenko told "Blic", when asked how he regards the US efforts to resolve the issue of Belgrade-Pristina relations in the short term.

He stressed that Russia was always in favor of continuing the talks and that "if we had more time, there would be tangible progress and compromise".

Botsan-Kharchenko reiterated that it is necessary to urgently fulfill Belgrade's request to abolish Pristina's taxes on goods from central Serbia.

Botsan-Kharchenko estimates that Vucic's position is "completely in line with the international law", when he says that no equation can be drawn between the tariffs' revocation and US is demanding that Serbia in this case must stop lobbying against Kosovo's independence.

"There are no links between the two issues. Independent, sovereign countries withdraw recognition of Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence, understanding that Kosovo is not a state, that this violation of international law has consequences not only for the region but also for the harsh international situation, and for themselves, and this process is in line with Resolution 1244," the Ambassador said.

He adds that Moscow will join the talks on Belgrade's invitation, but that "the deal is out of the question without Russia and the Security Council's approval."

"And as long as there is no compromise, Resolution 1244 is in effect. Dayton, for example, is the result of talks. Long, intense and quiet. That is why I say that it is not realistic to come up with a speedy solution for Kosovo," the Russian Ambassador said.

Asked that critical allegations could be heard that Russia did not want a solution in order to maintain its influence within the region through Serbia, Botsan-Kharchenko replied that this was not true and emphasized that "a resumption of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina" has always been in his country's interest.

He concluded that the entire talks had to be restored on the basis of Resolution 1244.