Kosovo important to U.S. and Russia

Kosovo important to U.S. and Russia

Russian ambassador to Belgrade Aleksandar Alekseyev told the Politika that Russia will not barter over its position on Kosovo.

He said that his country will not impose a solution on Belgrade, that this was the principled stance of Russia, and that it is also one of the principles adopted by the Contact Group, that Kosovo cannot be partitioned.

“I would like to stress that no one can put a magical solution on the table that would be agreed upon by everyone. We do not have those types of ambitions and no one will do that instead of the sides participating in the discussions. No one can know better than Belgrade itself, what Belgrade wants,” Alekseyev said.

Commenting on the possibility of the Kosovo Albanians proclaiming independence unilaterally or causing conflicts in the region, Aleksejev said that this would be “the worst possible development.” 

Asked whether Russia would be prepared to send its troops to Kosovo in a peacekeeping mission, Alekseyev said that he “is not sure that this would be a good idea.”

Meanwhile, Reuters has reported Friday that in New York, diplomats from several countries said Western capitals were discussing a possible new draft resolution that would appeal more to Moscow.

"We are looking at ways of trying to bring Russia into the process," one said.

Russia's main objection to the existing draft is that despite an offer of 120 more days of negotiations between Kosovo Albanians and Serbia, it still effectively makes independence for the province automatic if those talks fail.

Diplomats said ideas included extending the talks period up to 150 days and promising a review thereafter of where the parties stood.

But they said Western countries remained committed to eventual independence for Kosovo.

Jeremić calls for restraint regarding Kosovo

Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić has said that Serbia “is giving special attention to the way regional countries are behaving towards the delicate Kosovo question.”

Jeremić was visiting Podgorica Friday when he said any unilateral recognition of Kosovo's independence by Serbia's neighbors "would cause long term instability in the region."

"I call upon all regional states to show restraint on the Kosovo" recognition, Jeremić said during the first visit to Montenegro by a Serbian foreign minister after Montenegro gained independence last year.

"Let's not make any steps that would later be hard to reverse."

"Kosovo's independence is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia in any form," Jeremić said.

Montenegro's Foreign Minister Milan Roćen said his country "will stay on the sidelines" as far as Kosovo's recognition is concerned.