“Ahtisaari plan no basis for decision”

Ahtisaari’s plan cannot be used as basis for hammering out the final decision on Kosovo, Russian Foreign Ministry says.

Source: ITAR-TASS, RIA Novosti
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The UN special Kosovo envoy's plan “is based on infringement of sovereign rights of a UN member state, which, apart from creating an evident precedent for world practices, is fraught with predictable negative consequences for regional and international stability,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday, Russian media reported.

The Ministry reiterated that “speeding up a decision on sovereignization of Kosovo was counterproductive, since such a decision should be taken on the basis of a compromise between the sides.”

“For it to be reached it is necessary to continue the negotiating process in a patient and balanced way,” the ministry emphasized adding that the meetings in Belgrade had shown that "the Serbian side was ready for a further dialogue with Priština.”

Referring to the results of the UN fact-finding mission's work, the Russian Foreign Ministry asserted that "the UN delegation has found many blind spots."

"The mission has confirmed the conclusion that despite relative progress in the social and administrative sphere, the situation in regards to the implementation of key provisions of Resolution 1244 and international standards in Kosovo cannot be described as satisfactory,“ the Foreign Ministry underlined in the statement.

Adopted in 1999, the resolution determined to resolve the grave humanitarian crisis in Kosovo and to provide for the safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes.

On Moscow's proposal, the UN mission was sent to Kosovo and Belgrade before continuing talks on the status of Kosovo. The 15 UN ambassadors ended their visit late Saturday.

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Kosovo on EU-U.S. summit agenda

The annual summit of the EU and the U.S. that takes place in Washington today will touch on the future status of Kosovo.

Politics Monday, April 30, 2007 09:52 Comments: 14
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