Chizov: EU mission must have UN SC mandate
Any international mission in Kosovo, including the announced EU police and rule and law mission, must have a UN Security Council mandate, especially if it implies a replacement of the UN mission, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizov said.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, December 28, 2007
Chizov said that the resolution of the Kosovo status was not delegated to the EU, and added the Union was in charge of economic reconstruction within Unmik, while a change in its activities must be solved in accordance with UN SC Resolution 1244.
The Russian ambassador said the EU still did not resolve the "legal status" of its planned mission.
He also called for the pursuit of Kosovo status talks.
"From that point of view, what is important is not a unilateral declaration of independence, but a reaction to such a move in the world", Chizov said, and added there were several cases of unilateral declarations of independence in the recent past.
He mentioned the example of the "white regime" in South Rhodesia in the mid-60s, which no country recognized, as well as the example of the Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus, which was recognized only by Turkey.
Chizov recalled that the UN SC Resolution 541 from 1983 called on UN members not to recognize Northern Cyprus nor maintain official contacts.
