Russian media: Lavrov talks veto

Russian media: Lavrov talks veto

Lavrov reiterated a warning issued in September that Russia could use its veto power in the UN Security Council if it disagreed with a proposal by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, according to remarks reported by the RIA-Novosti news agency.

The Kosovo status plan must be approved by the UN Security Council to take effect.

"There exists a fairly insistent idea among our Western partners to swiftly propose a resolution that would approve Ahtisaari's plan," RIA-Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying.

He said Russia would only consider such a resolution if the Serbian and Kosovo leaderships agreed on the plan or an amended version.

"As regards Kosovo we are convinced that providing that granting this territory independence will have the most negative consequences for the region and for Europe as a whole," the agency quoted Lavrov as saying. "Our Western partners are convinced of the opposite."

Lavrov apparently did not say what potential consequences he had in mind. Putin has warned the West that granting Kosovo independence would serve as precedent for other nations with similar cases, including pro-Russian breakaway provinces in the ex-Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova whose sovereignty claims are dismissed by the United States and Europe.

Ceku confident Russia won't use veto

Earlier, Kosovo prime minister Agim Ceku was reported as saying he believed Russia would not block Kosovo status decision once the proposal reaches the UN Security Council.

“This (status) process has been initiated to succeed and not to fail. The stakeholders involved in this process, the US and others within the Contact Group, will not allow the process to fail,” Kosovo’s prime minister said.

The Contact Group comprises Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States.

Ceku's remarks are a response to the sentiment in Belgrade that Russia, which holds the right of veto within the UN Security Council and is historically an ally of Serbia, would block any status proposal which foresees independence for the province.

Russian officials stated earlier in the year that the status solution must be acceptable for both Belgrade and Priština.

Priština “doesn't see any space for further compromises with Belgrade,” according to the delegation's spokesperson Skender Hyseni.

Belgrade rejected Ahtisaari's plan, claiming that it violates international laws and Serbia's territorial integrity.

Priština, on the other hand, greeted the proposal as a confirmation that Kosovo is well on its way to becoming independent.