Ahtisaari’s approach “unacceptable”

Ahtisaari’s approach “unacceptable”

Lavrov added the outcome of discussions on Kosovo’s future status in the UN Security Council were not predetermined, Itar-Tass says.

“Russia may only support the variant that will be mutually advantageous for the two parties,” he said.

“I do not agree that the UN and U.S.’ efforts are aimed at granting independence to the region,” Lavrov was quoted by the agency.

Lavrov also pointed out that the settlement of the Kosovo problem “will be projected to other conflicts.”

U.S. diplomat warns of Kosovo violence

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried Monday warned of violence if Kosovo was not granted supervised independence “quickly”.

Fried told journalists in Berlin the Albanian majority's desire for clarity about the future could “no longer be denied,” the AP reports.

"The status quo in Kosovo is not sustainable," Fried added.

"We can't keep going on like this, with Kosovo in limbo. After eight years of rule and administration by the United Nations they deserve more clarity about their future and further delay will destabilize the situation," he said.

The UN special Kosovo envoy Martti Ahtisaari has come up with a plan that addresses concerns about the safety of the remaining Serb minority in Kosovo and provides the best chance for a peaceful resolution, Fried said.

Several EU members - Slovakia, Romania and Greece - have expressed reservations. Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, has said it opposes any solution imposed over the objections of Serbia, the AP report says.

Fried was quoted as saying that the United States favored "supervised independence" and stressed that it hoped for a consensus on the Security Council.

"The prospect of resolving Kosovo's final status without a Security Council resolution is grim," he said.

"One way or another the status quo will end, and it will either end through a controlled, organized process that gives guarantees to the Kosovo Serbs and the maximum of transparency and an orderly process, or it will be uncontrolled and much more violent," Fried concluded.