Churkin warns EU over "120 days transition"

Vitaly Churkin says there is no chance of Kosovo joining the UN, because of Russia and China’s position. Russia's UN ambassador also said that the last three UN Security Council meetings on Kosovo, the last one addressed by President Boris Tadic, found Russia with the majority in this institution, and not, as Washington has suggested, "isolated". Churkin warns EU over "120 days transition" "We were a part of the majority," the Russian diplomat told Belgrade daily Politika Wednesday, and added that the most important result of those meetings was UN secretary-general's public announcement according that UN Resolution 1244 is valid, while UNMIK continues to function in the province. "It was very important that no one contradicted him," Churkin said. "No one has either the moral or the legal right to recognize Kosovo's independence. We will continue to monitor the situation there, bearing in mind that the EU mission went to Kosovo without any legal basis whatsoever. We must in no way agree to a violation of the SC decisions," he continued. "Russia will make sure that the Kosovo question remains within the legal boundaries at the Security Council, that the illegally sent EU mission does not interfere with the UN mission's work, meaning that the UN continues to care about the return of Serbs, creating normal conditions for the people to live in. It [EU mission] must in no way breach Resolution 1244. If Russia notes anything of the sort, Russia will raise this issue at the Security Council in a very strong manner," Churkin explained. "We can see in some EU documents that there is some period of 120 days, after which the EU mission takes over from the UN. It is quite unclear how they came up with this. If they in any way try to realize these plans, they will find themselves violating Resolution 1244 and international law," Russia's UN representative continued. Read more about the questions raised over the EU mission's legality here. "Everyone must keep in mind that the UN secretary-general has confirmed that Resolution 1244 is valid, and in line with this, it still functions. We must start with this premise – and how the EU mission manages in all this is their business," Churkin said, and described the current situation in Kosovo as "very tense and dangerous". Also yesterday, Churkin said there is "no chance of Kosovo joining the UN, because of Russia and China’s position". “As far as the hypothetical matter of Kosovo membership of the UN is concerned, even asking that question is overly hasty. Russia feels a legal solution to the problem should be found, to find a way out of this situation,” the Russian ambassador to the UN told reporters in Moscow via video-link from New York. The ambassador reiterated that the UN Charter contains an article stating that the decision to accept new members is taken by the UN General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council. “Kosovo has no chance of receiving a positive recommendation from the Security Council if two members, Russia and China, who have the right to a veto, oppose the unilateral independence declaration,” he explained. Churkin said that the last Security Council debate on the Kosovo problem had shown that the Russian position was in the majority, as a great many members “share Russia’s concern” over the violation of international law. The ambassador said that it had also been shown that there was no legal, political or moral justification for Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, nor for its recognition. He said that Moscow would continue to follow the situation closely, particularly the EU mission, and repeated that the mission’s dispatch “transgressed international law, which should not be broken.” Vitaly Churkin (Tanjug, archive)

Churkin warns EU over "120 days transition"

"We were a part of the majority," the Russian diplomat told Belgrade daily Politika Wednesday, and added that the most important result of those meetings was UN secretary-general's public announcement according that UN Resolution 1244 is valid, while UNMIK continues to function in the province.

"It was very important that no one contradicted him," Churkin said.

"No one has either the moral or the legal right to recognize Kosovo's independence. We will continue to monitor the situation there, bearing in mind that the EU mission went to Kosovo without any legal basis whatsoever. We must in no way agree to a violation of the SC decisions," he continued.

"Russia will make sure that the Kosovo question remains within the legal boundaries at the Security Council, that the illegally sent EU mission does not interfere with the UN mission's work, meaning that the UN continues to care about the return of Serbs, creating normal conditions for the people to live in. It [EU mission] must in no way breach Resolution 1244. If Russia notes anything of the sort, Russia will raise this issue at the Security Council in a very strong manner," Churkin explained.

"We can see in some EU documents that there is some period of 120 days, after which the EU mission takes over from the UN. It is quite unclear how they came up with this. If they in any way try to realize these plans, they will find themselves violating Resolution 1244 and international law," Russia's UN representative continued. Read more about the questions raised over the EU mission's legality here.

"Everyone must keep in mind that the UN secretary-general has confirmed that Resolution 1244 is valid, and in line with this, it still functions. We must start with this premise – and how the EU mission manages in all this is their business," Churkin said, and described the current situation in Kosovo as "very tense and dangerous".

Also yesterday, Churkin said there is "no chance of Kosovo joining the UN, because of Russia and China’s position".

“As far as the hypothetical matter of Kosovo membership of the UN is concerned, even asking that question is overly hasty. Russia feels a legal solution to the problem should be found, to find a way out of this situation,” the Russian ambassador to the UN told reporters in Moscow via video-link from New York.

The ambassador reiterated that the UN Charter contains an article stating that the decision to accept new members is taken by the UN General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council.

“Kosovo has no chance of receiving a positive recommendation from the Security Council if two members, Russia and China, who have the right to a veto, oppose the unilateral independence declaration,” he explained.

Churkin said that the last Security Council debate on the Kosovo problem had shown that the Russian position was in the majority, as a great many members “share Russia’s concern” over the violation of international law.

The ambassador said that it had also been shown that there was no legal, political or moral justification for Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, nor for its recognition.

He said that Moscow would continue to follow the situation closely, particularly the EU mission, and repeated that the mission’s dispatch “transgressed international law, which should not be broken.”