Rice: Serbia, Kosovo, to be separate

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday Serbia and Kosovo "will never be part of the same country again".

Izvor: Voice of America

Saturday, 22.12.2007.

16:52

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday Serbia and Kosovo "will never be part of the same country again". The VOA reported that she also called on "all those concerned" to "work for a stable outcome in the Balkans based on that reality". Rice: Serbia, Kosovo, to be separate At a year-end news conference, Rice promised dialogue with Serbia and Russia, but, according to the radio, stopped short of endorsing a timetable for Kosovo independence. Kosovo Albanian leaders in Pristina have said they will announce independence early in the coming year. Asked about such a prospect, Rice said it will be "important to take decisions about Kosovo's status in the next several weeks, and that not doing so would be destabilizing". "The fact is that Kosovo and Serbia are never going to be part of the same state again. I think that's quite clear. It was the logic even of [UN Resolution] 1244 on the special status accorded Kosovo as a result of the war. And the important thing is for these two peoples to get on with their futures," she said. Rice said earlier this week she does not expect Russia or Serbia to threaten Kosovo Albanians or destabilize the Balkans and said it is in the interest of neither to do so, VOA said. But in interview comments Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will veto any effort within the United Nations to make Kosovo independent. He said dealing with the matter outside of the UN would be a step toward the demise of the world body. Moscow argues that recognizing Kosovo over Belgrade's objections would set a dangerous precedent for other European regions where separatist sentiments are high.

Rice: Serbia, Kosovo, to be separate

At a year-end news conference, Rice promised dialogue with Serbia and Russia, but, according to the radio, stopped short of endorsing a timetable for Kosovo independence.

Kosovo Albanian leaders in Priština have said they will announce independence early in the coming year.

Asked about such a prospect, Rice said it will be "important to take decisions about Kosovo's status in the next several weeks, and that not doing so would be destabilizing".

"The fact is that Kosovo and Serbia are never going to be part of the same state again. I think that's quite clear. It was the logic even of [UN Resolution] 1244 on the special status accorded Kosovo as a result of the war. And the important thing is for these two peoples to get on with their futures," she said.

Rice said earlier this week she does not expect Russia or Serbia to threaten Kosovo Albanians or destabilize the Balkans and said it is in the interest of neither to do so, VOA said.

But in interview comments Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will veto any effort within the United Nations to make Kosovo independent. He said dealing with the matter outside of the UN would be a step toward the demise of the world body.

Moscow argues that recognizing Kosovo over Belgrade's objections would set a dangerous precedent for other European regions where separatist sentiments are high.

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