"Russian Kosovo policy bad for Serbia"

Then EU enlargement commissioner said in 2007 that most Serbia's leadership did not accept that Russia's Kosovo policy went against the country's interests.

Izvor: B92

Tuesday, 26.04.2011.

12:46

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Then EU enlargement commissioner said in 2007 that most Serbia's leadership did not accept that Russia's Kosovo policy went against the country's interests. Olli Rehn was making these statements during a meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Finland, a U.S. diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks has revealed. "Russian Kosovo policy bad for Serbia" Rehn further stated that Moscow's policy to prevent a UN Security Council resolution that would "mandate Kosovo's independence" was "solely in its own interest". Rehn, who is currently EU commissioner for economic and financial affairs, was also quoted as saying that "Russia's stance on Kosovo has everything to do with Russia's own interests, nothing really to do with Kosovo, and - perhaps worst of all - it runs directly counter to Serbia's long-term interests". "Unfortunately, most of the Serb leadership, including the foreign and prime ministers (Vuk Jeremic and Vojislav Kostunica at the time), cannot or will not grasp this reality, and President (Boris) Tadic - who does understand it - doesn't have the guts or the tools to move Serbia away from Russia and toward the West," reads the cable. In a cable dated July 2007, Rehn was quoted as saying that if a UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo fails to emerge "following a brief period of additional negotiations", then "all bets on EU unity are off." The U.S. ambassador in Helsinki reported home that Rehn singled out Romania as being "particularly susceptible to Russia's shop-worn arguments about setting an international precedent on ethnic minorities". He then "suggested that the U.S. could play a helpful role in convincing Bucharest otherwise". Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence, which Serbia rejected as an illegal act of secession. Serbia is supported by Russia at the UN, and Kosovo has not been able to join that organization. Five out of EU's 27 member-states - Romania among them - have not recognized the territory as independent. Olli Rehn (FoNet, file)

"Russian Kosovo policy bad for Serbia"

Rehn further stated that Moscow's policy to prevent a UN Security Council resolution that would "mandate Kosovo's independence" was "solely in its own interest".

Rehn, who is currently EU commissioner for economic and financial affairs, was also quoted as saying that "Russia's stance on Kosovo has everything to do with Russia's own interests, nothing really to do with Kosovo, and - perhaps worst of all - it runs directly counter to Serbia's long-term interests".

"Unfortunately, most of the Serb leadership, including the foreign and prime ministers (Vuk Jeremić and Vojislav Koštunica at the time), cannot or will not grasp this reality, and President (Boris) Tadić - who does understand it - doesn't have the guts or the tools to move Serbia away from Russia and toward the West," reads the cable.

In a cable dated July 2007, Rehn was quoted as saying that if a UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo fails to emerge "following a brief period of additional negotiations", then "all bets on EU
unity are off."

The U.S. ambassador in Helsinki reported home that Rehn singled out Romania as being "particularly susceptible to Russia's shop-worn arguments about setting an international precedent on ethnic
minorities".

He then "suggested that the U.S. could play a helpful role in convincing Bucharest otherwise".

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence, which Serbia rejected as an illegal act of secession. Serbia is supported by Russia at the UN, and Kosovo has not been able to join that organization.

Five out of EU's 27 member-states - Romania among them - have not recognized the territory as independent.

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