Poland won't open embassy in Priština

Polish President Lech Kaczynski say he will block attempts to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo at ambassadorial level. Speaking in New York on Wednesday, Kaczynski once again condemned the Polish government's decision to recognize Kosovo. Poland won't open embassy in Pristina "I have never tried to hide that I consider it a mistake. However, the government's decision is legitimate, but I, too, have my competencies and I am saying with severity - there will be no signature of mine on appointing an ambassador to Kosovo," he was quoted as saying. Although Poland recognized Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence before the Czech Republic, unlike Prague, which hurried to send its ambassador, Warsaw said immediately that the move does not entail the opening of an embassy in Pristina. Kaczynski, and his twin brother Jaroslaw, who served as prime minister, last winter voiced sharp criticism of Premier Donald Tusk's Kosovo decision. Both politicians said that the move would only spur separatism within countries seen as Polish allies such as Georgia. This week, the president repeated that the recognition was the wrong thing to do. "There is a close cause-and-effect relation between the recognition of Kosovo's independence and the Russian decisions on South Ossetia and Abkhazia," he told reporters at the UN headquarters. Kaczynski, addressing the UN General Assembly, accused the international community over the Georgia conflict, to say that it exercises an unacceptable practice where "international law is binding only for the weak, and not for the powerful". Lech Kaczynski addresses the UN GA (Beta)

Poland won't open embassy in Priština

"I have never tried to hide that I consider it a mistake. However, the government's decision is legitimate, but I, too, have my competencies and I am saying with severity - there will be no signature of mine on appointing an ambassador to Kosovo," he was quoted as saying.

Although Poland recognized Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence before the Czech Republic, unlike Prague, which hurried to send its ambassador, Warsaw said immediately that the move does not entail the opening of an embassy in Priština.

Kaczynski, and his twin brother Jaroslaw, who served as prime minister, last winter voiced sharp criticism of Premier Donald Tusk's Kosovo decision.

Both politicians said that the move would only spur separatism within countries seen as Polish allies such as Georgia. This week, the president repeated that the recognition was the wrong thing to do.

"There is a close cause-and-effect relation between the recognition of Kosovo's independence and the Russian decisions on South Ossetia and Abkhazia," he told reporters at the UN headquarters.

Kaczynski, addressing the UN General Assembly, accused the international community over the Georgia conflict, to say that it exercises an unacceptable practice where "international law is binding only for the weak, and not for the powerful".