Churkin: Russia shaped Kosovo issue

Vitaly Churkin says that the issue of Kosovo would have been solved in a completely different manner had Russia not stuck to its guns. "The finale and the overall course would have been different. Russia has had a principled and absolutely fundamental influence on the whole situation," Moscow's permanent representative to the UN told Vesti TV. Churkin: Russia shaped Kosovo issue Firstly, Churkin explained, the UN Security Council might have approved the Ahtisaari plan, in essence approving Kosovo's independence, had there not been for Russia's principled position on the matter. If the plan were approved, he added, "this would've brought our Serb friends to a very difficult position". Churkin reminded that it was after Russia's insistence that the UN secretary-general confirmed that Resolution 1244 remained in force, determining UN control over Kosovo, and that the UN mission there, UNMIK, would continue to act in the province. "That, in turn, provided and continues to provide additional possibilities for Belgrade to continue to defend the country's territorial integrity." The Russian ambassador to the UN also mentioned the March 17 violence in Kosovska Mitrovica, when now replaced "adventurist" UN mission leadership used force against protesting Serbs. Russia first categorically condemned that provocation, and then insisted on a UN investigation into the clashes, the results of which confirmed Moscow's stance that the UN representatives' actions were provocative and unjustified, he said. "In that way, we have in essence stopped further violent excesses directed against the Serbs, since after the March 17 events, some permanent representatives at the Security Council were still saying, 'well, fine, while at it… impose Kosovo's independence on Serbs'," Churkin said. "We nipped all that in the bud. And the result is that we have managed to preserve the Security Council prerogatives, importance of Resolution 1244, political control of the UN in Kosovo, and we managed to put the EU mission's work under control, which initially attempted to dictate its terms to the residents of Kosovo, above all to the Serbs," the ambassador continued. "With this, we succeeded in securing a possibility for Serbs to continue to defend their country's territorial integrity," Churkin concluded. A file photo of Vitaly Churkin (FoNet)

Churkin: Russia shaped Kosovo issue

Firstly, Churkin explained, the UN Security Council might have approved the Ahtisaari plan, in essence approving Kosovo's independence, had there not been for Russia's principled position on the matter.

If the plan were approved, he added, "this would've brought our Serb friends to a very difficult position".

Churkin reminded that it was after Russia's insistence that the UN secretary-general confirmed that Resolution 1244 remained in force, determining UN control over Kosovo, and that the UN mission there, UNMIK, would continue to act in the province.

"That, in turn, provided and continues to provide additional possibilities for Belgrade to continue to defend the country's territorial integrity."

The Russian ambassador to the UN also mentioned the March 17 violence in Kosovska Mitrovica, when now replaced "adventurist" UN mission leadership used force against protesting Serbs.

Russia first categorically condemned that provocation, and then insisted on a UN investigation into the clashes, the results of which confirmed Moscow's stance that the UN representatives' actions were provocative and unjustified, he said.

"In that way, we have in essence stopped further violent excesses directed against the Serbs, since after the March 17 events, some permanent representatives at the Security Council were still saying, 'well, fine, while at it… impose Kosovo's independence on Serbs'," Churkin said.

"We nipped all that in the bud. And the result is that we have managed to preserve the Security Council prerogatives, importance of Resolution 1244, political control of the UN in Kosovo, and we managed to put the EU mission's work under control, which initially attempted to dictate its terms to the residents of Kosovo, above all to the Serbs," the ambassador continued.

"With this, we succeeded in securing a possibility for Serbs to continue to defend their country's territorial integrity," Churkin concluded.