EQUIPO NIZKOR |
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01dec06
State Duma: Unilateral Recognition Of Kosovo Extremely Dangerous.
Unilateral recognition of Kosovo is extremely dangerous.
This position of the Russian Foreign Ministry was spelled out to Kosovo’s Prime Minister Agim Ceku, who came to Moscow at the invitation of Russian lawmakers.
Moscow made clear that in the absence of human rights standards, any unilateral steps towards determining the political status of Kosovo would be premature.
According to the head of the State Duma international affairs committee Konstantin Kosachyov, Kosovo’s independence would contradict the principles of post-war cooperation in Europe, which prohibit any border changes without the consent of all parties involved.
Pavel Kandel is a senior expert at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Moscow insists that the status of Kosovo be determined through negotiations between the conflicting parties, namely between ethnic Albanians and the Serbian government.
Attempts to impose a decision rejected by Serbia are unacceptable.
Meeting with Russian officials in Moscow, Agim Ceku reaffirmed the ethic Albanian authorities’ strive for secession, while Russia remains convinced that the only way out of the Kosovo deadlock lies through political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and a search for a compromise solution.
Despite these differences, both sides were unanimous in the need to protect the rights of Serbs and other ethnic minorities who face discrimination violence from Albanian extremists in Kosovo.
[Source: By Yevgeny Kryshkin, Voice of Russia, Moscow, 01Dec06]
 | This document has been published on 08Dec06 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |