Lavrov blasts EU Kosovo mission as illegal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has declared the EU's police and justice mission to Kosovo illegal. He told reporters that Brussels' "unilateral decision... is in breach of the highest international law," the BBC reported. Lavrov blasts EU Kosovo mission as illegal EU special envoy Pieter Feith arrived in Pristina and began work Wednesday. Russia has already objected to ethnic Albanians' declaration of independence, supporting Serbia. The BBC also quotes Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin who said that by "pursuing the unilateral scenario of solving the Kosovo problem... the European Union encourages separatism in the world". In Moscow, Itar-Tass quoted Lavrov as saying that "in the case of Kosovo and Metohija province, double standards are in effect, when unilateral moves are being made despite a United Nations Security Council resolution." "In the case of Cyprus, everyone is acting within the international law and not even considering making unilateral moves outside the frameworks of the relevant UN Security Council resolution, while the opposite thing is happening in the case of Kosovo," Lavrov said after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babajan. Turkey was one of the countries who quickly recognized the unilateral Kosovo declaration. Lavrov said that Serbia's territorial integrity was confirmed not only by Security Council Resolution 1244, but also by Resolution 1785, which confirmed the dedication of the UN Security Council to a political settlement of all conflicts in the territory of former Yugoslavia, together with the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries of that region. "The European Union is sending its mission to Kosovo unilaterally, without the approval of the UN Security Council, with the task of ensuring the supremacy of law. This is bitter irony. The EU mission is being sent there in violation of international law," Lavrov said. "We are being told that Resolution 1244 is the basis for sending the EU mission and for the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence. This is not true. Resolution 1244 mentions a transitional period, but it should last until the negotiating parties reach a final political settlement," the Russian foreign minister added. "It is common knowledge that the talks for finding a way to the political settlement were artificially broken up because of the interference from the outside," Lavrov concluded.

Lavrov blasts EU Kosovo mission as illegal

EU special envoy Pieter Feith arrived in Priština and began work Wednesday.

Russia has already objected to ethnic Albanians' declaration of independence, supporting Serbia.

The BBC also quotes Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin who said that by "pursuing the unilateral scenario of solving the Kosovo problem... the European Union encourages separatism in the world".

In Moscow, Itar-Tass quoted Lavrov as saying that "in the case of Kosovo and Metohija province, double standards are in effect, when unilateral moves are being made despite a United Nations Security Council resolution."

"In the case of Cyprus, everyone is acting within the international law and not even considering making unilateral moves outside the frameworks of the relevant UN Security Council resolution, while the opposite thing is happening in the case of Kosovo," Lavrov said after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babajan.

Turkey was one of the countries who quickly recognized the unilateral Kosovo declaration.

Lavrov said that Serbia's territorial integrity was confirmed not only by Security Council Resolution 1244, but also by Resolution 1785, which confirmed the dedication of the UN Security Council to a political settlement of all conflicts in the territory of former Yugoslavia, together with the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries of that region.

"The European Union is sending its mission to Kosovo unilaterally, without the approval of the UN Security Council, with the task of ensuring the supremacy of law. This is bitter irony. The EU mission is being sent there in violation of international law," Lavrov said.

"We are being told that Resolution 1244 is the basis for sending the EU mission and for the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence. This is not true. Resolution 1244 mentions a transitional period, but it should last until the negotiating parties reach a final political settlement," the Russian foreign minister added.

"It is common knowledge that the talks for finding a way to the political settlement were artificially broken up because of the interference from the outside," Lavrov concluded.