Serbia encouraged by Putin remarks
Belgrade, 1 Feb. (AKI) - Serbian press gave big play on Wednesday to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s statement that the international community should apply the same criteria to all inter-ethnic disputes in the world. Putin said that allowing independence for Kosovo, a predominantly ethnic Albanian province of Serbia under United Nations control since 1999, could set a dangerous precedent for other countries. In a front page article, influential daily Politika carried his statements in Moscow Tuesday, under the headline “When I say Kosovo, I mean Caucasus”. Other papers also carried Putin’s statement in front pages.
“The international community should apply unique, universal principles in solving multi-ethnic problems,” said Putin, referring to Kosovo province, where majority ethnic Albanians demand independence. “If, for example, Kosovo can become independent, why couldn’t Abkhazia or South Ossetia,” said Putin, referring to the turbulent Caucus region.
Serbian officials, who oppose Kosovo independence, interpreted Putin’s pronouncement as a sign that he would oppose the partitioning of Serbia and stand for the preservation of its sovereignty over Kosovo. Russia is, with the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, a member of a powerful Contact Group for Kosovo, which is expected to influence Kosovo’s final status.
The talks on the future of Kosovo were set to begin in January, but have been postponed for the end of February because of the death of Kosovo president Ibrahim Rugova. “It is a good message for Serbs, and I hope that Putin’s views will be respected by the entire international community,” said a Kosovo Serb leader Dragisa Krstovic.
Sanda Raskovic Ivic, Serbian government coordinator for Kosovo, said that Putin has given a “signal and warning” to those in the international community who would like to treat Kosovo as an exception and grant it independence. “Such a quasi-solution would destroy international law and cause a chain reaction in many European and non-European countries, including the post-Soviet states.”
But James Lion, controversial director of Belgrade office of the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental organization that deals with prevention of conflicts, said that Serbian interpretations of Putin’s statement were wrong.
“Russia has more or less given up on Kosovo,” Lion told Belgrade radio B92.
He said it would be in Serbia’s interest to give up Kosovo, just as it was in Russia’s interest to give up some Caucasus republics, like Chechnya.
“Russia sees in Kosovo a sort of a precedent which it might use in the Caucases and which would be in its interest,” said Lion.
“The international community should apply unique, universal principles in solving multi-ethnic problems,” said Putin, referring to Kosovo province, where majority ethnic Albanians demand independence. “If, for example, Kosovo can become independent, why couldn’t Abkhazia or South Ossetia,” said Putin, referring to the turbulent Caucus region.
Serbian officials, who oppose Kosovo independence, interpreted Putin’s pronouncement as a sign that he would oppose the partitioning of Serbia and stand for the preservation of its sovereignty over Kosovo. Russia is, with the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, a member of a powerful Contact Group for Kosovo, which is expected to influence Kosovo’s final status.
The talks on the future of Kosovo were set to begin in January, but have been postponed for the end of February because of the death of Kosovo president Ibrahim Rugova. “It is a good message for Serbs, and I hope that Putin’s views will be respected by the entire international community,” said a Kosovo Serb leader Dragisa Krstovic.
Sanda Raskovic Ivic, Serbian government coordinator for Kosovo, said that Putin has given a “signal and warning” to those in the international community who would like to treat Kosovo as an exception and grant it independence. “Such a quasi-solution would destroy international law and cause a chain reaction in many European and non-European countries, including the post-Soviet states.”
But James Lion, controversial director of Belgrade office of the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental organization that deals with prevention of conflicts, said that Serbian interpretations of Putin’s statement were wrong.
“Russia has more or less given up on Kosovo,” Lion told Belgrade radio B92.
He said it would be in Serbia’s interest to give up Kosovo, just as it was in Russia’s interest to give up some Caucasus republics, like Chechnya.
“Russia sees in Kosovo a sort of a precedent which it might use in the Caucases and which would be in its interest,” said Lion.
posted by Marko at 2/01/2006 12:29:00 PM
<< Home