West Trying to Bypass Both Russia and United Nations
Lavrov: Sustainable Solution Would be Acceptable to Both Parties
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov reiterated Wednesday Moscow’s principled position regarding Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija.
“Any decision on Kosovo that is not based on a balanced outcome of negotiations will not be lasting and will be risky for the Balkans and the whole of Europe,” he told reporters in Stockholm following talks with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt.
According to Moscow, this issue may not be isolated from the situation in other parts of the world. “Cosponsors of the resolution of Kosovo should show a responsible approach in addressing the issue,” Russian Foreign Minister said.
West is Trying to Bypass Russia and United Nations
Commenting Tuesday’s Paris meeting of the so-called Contact Group for Kosovo province that includes Russia, but to which Russia was not invited — how very democratic and multilateral, by the way — emphasizing that Russia was bypassed, Lavrov said:
“If this format was chosen to bypass Russia’s position ... then we leave this on the conscience of those who met in the format of the quintet.”
“Russia was not invited to this meeting. This fact is not consistent with the declaratory statements by our partners about their readiness to continue the search for compromises,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin earlier.
“Secret discussions rather suggest a preparation of unilateral scenarios for Kosovo independence,” he added.
“As far as we know, the quintet affirmed its support to the Ahtisaari plan as the only possible basis for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Kosovo,” Kamynin said.
“This approach is not acceptable to Russia,” he stressed.
“We firmly insist on further talks between Belgrade and Pristina in order to find a compromise on the status of the province,” the diplomat said.
The Contact Group consists of U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy AND Russia — for the officials who would prefer to forget Russia exists. Understandable, but impossible.
Cartoon by Erdogan Basol (Hungary)