Byzantine Blog

Lavrov: Unilateral Moves Will Trigger a Chain Reaction

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia opposes setting artificial deadlines for the Kosovo status talks. Following a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Moscow, he warned that a possible unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanian separatists would trigger a chain reaction in different parts of Europe and the world.

“I do not see how a unilateral recognition of Kosovo’s independence can stabilize the situation in Europe. It will rather trigger a chain reaction in various parts and continents of the world,” Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, adding that Russia wants to avoid such a scenario.

Russian Foreign Minister strongly opposed the idea that December 10, when mediating troika is expected to submit the progress report to the UN Secretary General, could be turned into a “deadline” by which the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina have to end.

Kosovo Problem Requires Work, Not Predictions

“We are not setting deadlines for the creation of a Palestinian state that the Palestinians have been seeking for sixty years, or for resolving the whole Arab-Israeli conflict. In all these situations, we are urging further negotiations. The same applies to Kosovo,” Sergei Lavrov said.

He warned that “if someone keeps saying that a declaration of independence is inevitable, this will not encourage the Kosovo Albanians to negotiate.”

However, if we call on Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement, the chances are not bad, the Russian minister concluded, and added that the Kosovo problem “requires work, not forecasts,” tipping on certain outcome as if it was a betting issue.

Alekseyev: West Will Bear Responsibility for Unilateral Declarations

That Moscow staunchly opposes setting deadlines to the Kosovo status talks was confirmed by the Russian Ambassador to Belgrade on Wednesday.

“Russia supports a proposal put forward by Belgrade to have the Kosovo status on the agenda during direct talks between the parties in New York on September 28,” Aleksandar Alekseyev said for a Belgrade TV station.

“The time is right to exert pressure on the Albanian side to assume a more constructive position in the negotiations,” said Alekseyev, adding it is evident the West continues to support Kosovo Albanians in their bid for independence.

“A unilateral proclamation of independence is impossible without the support from the West, and those in favor of the idea would have to take over an immense load of responsibility,” he said, stressing that the consequences of such unilateral moves “could be disastrous.”

December 10 Time for Progress Report, Not an End of Negotiations

“December 10 marks the day when the UN Secretary General should receive a progress report form the Contact Group Troika, a review of the talks in progress,” the Russian ambassador said.

“You will not see a single document of the Troika saying that December 10 marks the end of the talks.”

“It would be good to reach an agreement by then and Russia is ready to work on it. But December 10 is surely not the end of the process,” concluded Alekseyev.

Titov: Negotiations-Mocking Statements by American Officials Unacceptable

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov on Wednesday told the American ambassador to Russia, William Burns, that the statements which are attempting to predetermine the outcome of Kosovo status negotiations are unacceptable, since they are defying the very meaning of negotiations.

Titov told the American ambassador that setting the artificial deadlines to the process of resolving the Kosovo problem is not tolerable, stressing the importance of reaching the solution that would be acceptable to both sides, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Churkin: Despite Serbian Flexibility, Negotiations Won’t be Concluded Soon

Around the same time, Russian Ambassador in the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin cautioned against haste in efforts to resolve the dispute over the status of southern Serbian province, emphasizing that talks should continue if Serbian leadership and Kosovo Albanian separatists do not reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

“One cannot talk about December 10 as a final stage in negotiations,” Churkin said via a video link to Moscow from New York. “It would be very good if the sides reached a final agreement by December 10, but if not, we are convinced that it is necessary to continue talks.”

Mr. Churkin noted that despite the significant flexibility shown by Serbia, “it is hard to suppose that even if talks go as well as possible, the sides will be able to resolve all the questions that stand before them by December 10,” when the international mediators should submit their progress report to the UN.