Chizhov: Ban Ki-Moon will not give a green light to the illegal EU mission
Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said Russia was confident that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon would not give a green light to the EU’s plans to launch a rule of law mission in Kosovo as the mission has a “very shaky” legal basis.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, February 07, 2008
Approving the mission would mean that Ban "was going beyong his responsibilities as secretary general", Chizhov said.
"Any attempt to circumvent the UN Security Council would put the EU mission on a very shaky legal basis (...) resolution 1244 is not a manual for cherry-picking individual elements in order to legitimise moves which circumvent the UN," Chizhov said.
The Russian diplomat also warned EU capitals against recognising Kosovo as it "would create a serious precedent from the point of view of international law."
"With those countries that recognise, this will be a thorn in our political dialogue. With those that don't, there won't be such a thorn," he said.
Chizhov said Russia was "increasingly concerned" about the developments surrounding Kosovo and does not give up hope that it could prevent the planned "coordinated declaration of independence" by using all possible diplomatic measures.
Chizhov expressed hope that the EU countries would follow the example of UN resolution 541, which in November 1993 asked from UN members not to recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of Northern Cyprus.
Respecting the UN resolution, no EU country recognized Northern Cyprus, and Cyprus was formally allowed into the EU through the respect of its territorial integrity.
Unilateral or coordinated independence of Kosovo would be pointless because Kosovo could never become a member of the United Nations, OSCE or Council of Europe, i.e. it would not gain anything more than it could have if Pristina had accepted Serbia's proposals on "essential autonomy," the ambassador added.
Independent Kosovo might perhaps make some links with international institutions, such as the World Bank of International Monetary Fund, but it would gain nothing more than what Belgrade offered it during the status negotiations, Chizhov argued.
The Russian official also warned KFOR that it has to observe Resolution 1244
If it used force against Kosovo Serbs that would oppose to Kosovo's independence, KFOR would cross the line and violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Chizhov said.
In that case, Russia would immediately demand a meeting of the NATO-Russian Council, Chizhov said.
