Moscow, Washington, not moving closer on Kosovo

Russian and U.S. stands on the future status of Kosovo are not moving any closer, a Russian official says. Moscow believes that haste is not a good approach in resolving such a serious issue, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry Department for Northern America Igor Neverov told Tanjug on Thursday. Moscow, Washington, not moving closer on Kosovo "Consultations are in progress, and the positions are not getting closer now. We believe that haste is not a good principle, because it is a rather serious issue, because it is at the heart of Europe and because consequences will be for long term," said Neverov. The Russian diplomat's was asked by the agency whether the stands of Washington and Moscow might be expected to move closer by December 10, when the negotiation Troika is due to submit their report on the ongoing Kosovo talks to the UN secretary-general. Neverov underscored that a solution "should not be a forced or imposed on Belgrade." Speaking about reports in Western media that the United States had invited Russia to make concessions over Kosovo, Iran and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), Neverov said that he is "not aware of any official statements on the issue by U.S. diplomats." "No trade is in progress. Each issue is being discussed separately as that is not the way we work in our dialogue with the Americans," said Neverov. According to him, such reports constitute for "a form of pressure." Pointing out that "a complex period in the talks on Kosovo" is in progress, Neverov said that there is hope that a direct dialogue between the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians can yield results, but that Moscow "is disturbed by statements on possible unilateral declaration of independence because they only make the negotiation process more difficult." "We will accept every solution that is acceptable to the sides. It is important to stimulate both sides to reach a compromise," said the Russian diplomat, adding that the fact that the talks are now being held under the auspices of the Troika does not mean that the Kosovo issue had come out of the UN framework. "Every solution will be legitimate only if it is adopted by the Security Council and not by the European Union, U.S., Russia or the Contact Group," underscored Neverov. Kosovo a test for OSCE stability - Russian deputy PM The issue of Kosovo will shortly become a real test for the commitment of many states to the basic principles of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and for its stability, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Thursday. He told Russian news agency Itar-Tass in Vienna, where he attended a session of the OSCE Permanent Council, that this organization's endeavors should focus on helping negotiating processes in regional conflicts, confidence-building among parties in conflict and encouraging them to resolve problems by peaceful means, dialogue and cooperation. "In seeking solutions to frozen conflicts, dual standards and approaches must not be used, as that would result in tensions and mistrust and push processes backwards," the Russian diplomat said. Moscow once again urges respect of uniform principles and standards in resolving regional conflicts, Grushko said. "Existing peace and negotiating processes should be supported, parties to conflicts should be encouraged to reach agreements and conditions should be secured to prevent the people living in conflict zones from feeling abandoned by the international community," he said. "In order to reach compromises, however, setting artificial time frameworks is unacceptable," he noted. This approach should be applied to all conflicts, and Russia hopes this view will be shared by its partners and included in the documents to be adopted by OSCE foreign ministers at the end of November in Madrid, Grushko said. Russia should recognize Abkhazia, Luzhkov Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said on Thursday that Russia should recognize the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, in the reference to "double standards that a part of the international community applies when the independence of Kosovo is at issue." "When discussing Kosovo, various protagonists of the international politics talk about the right to self-determination," Luzhkov said at an international conference in Moscow, adding that, however, when Abkhazia or South Ossetia are at issue, "double standards are applied." Some 80 percent of the citizens of Abkhazia have Russian passports based on their own request, said Luzhkov, who is a member and one of the founding members of the ruling United Russia party. Abkhazia is an autonomous region of the Caucus region, which following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, remained within Georgia. The people of Abkhazia have since been urging for right to become independent or join Russia, but the international community insists that the region must remain a part of Georgia.

Moscow, Washington, not moving closer on Kosovo

"Consultations are in progress, and the positions are not getting closer now. We believe that haste is not a good principle, because it is a rather serious issue, because it is at the heart of Europe and because consequences will be for long term," said Neverov.

The Russian diplomat's was asked by the agency whether the stands of Washington and Moscow might be expected to move closer by December 10, when the negotiation Troika is due to submit their report on the ongoing Kosovo talks to the UN secretary-general.

Neverov underscored that a solution "should not be a forced or imposed on Belgrade."

Speaking about reports in Western media that the United States had invited Russia to make concessions over Kosovo, Iran and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), Neverov said that he is "not aware of any official statements on the issue by U.S. diplomats."

"No trade is in progress. Each issue is being discussed separately as that is not the way we work in our dialogue with the Americans," said Neverov.

According to him, such reports constitute for "a form of pressure."

Pointing out that "a complex period in the talks on Kosovo" is in progress, Neverov said that there is hope that a direct dialogue between the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians can yield results, but that Moscow "is disturbed by statements on possible unilateral declaration of independence because they only make the negotiation process more difficult."

"We will accept every solution that is acceptable to the sides. It is important to stimulate both sides to reach a compromise," said the Russian diplomat, adding that the fact that the talks are now being held under the auspices of the Troika does not mean that the Kosovo issue had come out of the UN framework.

"Every solution will be legitimate only if it is adopted by the Security Council and not by the European Union, U.S., Russia or the Contact Group," underscored Neverov.

Kosovo a test for OSCE stability - Russian deputy PM

The issue of Kosovo will shortly become a real test for the commitment of many states to the basic principles of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and for its stability, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Thursday.

He told Russian news agency Itar-Tass in Vienna, where he attended a session of the OSCE Permanent Council, that this organization's endeavors should focus on helping negotiating processes in regional conflicts, confidence-building among parties in conflict and encouraging them to resolve problems by peaceful means, dialogue and cooperation.

"In seeking solutions to frozen conflicts, dual standards and approaches must not be used, as that would result in tensions and mistrust and push processes backwards," the Russian diplomat said.

Moscow once again urges respect of uniform principles and standards in resolving regional conflicts, Grushko said.

"Existing peace and negotiating processes should be supported, parties to conflicts should be encouraged to reach agreements and conditions should be secured to prevent the people living in conflict zones from feeling abandoned by the international community," he said.

"In order to reach compromises, however, setting artificial time frameworks is unacceptable," he noted.

This approach should be applied to all conflicts, and Russia hopes this view will be shared by its partners and included in the documents to be adopted by OSCE foreign ministers at the end of November in Madrid, Grushko said.

Russia should recognize Abkhazia, Luzhkov

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said on Thursday that Russia should recognize the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, in the reference to "double standards that a part of the international community applies when the independence of Kosovo is at issue."

"When discussing Kosovo, various protagonists of the international politics talk about the right to self-determination," Luzhkov said at an international conference in Moscow, adding that, however, when Abkhazia or South Ossetia are at issue, "double standards are applied."

Some 80 percent of the citizens of Abkhazia have Russian passports based on their own request, said Luzhkov, who is a member and one of the founding members of the ruling United Russia party.

Abkhazia is an autonomous region of the Caucus region, which following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, remained within Georgia.

The people of Abkhazia have since been urging for right to become independent or join Russia, but the international community insists that the region must remain a part of Georgia.