Russia slams Kosovo constitution, sees no reason for return of its troops
The announcement of Kosovo’s new constitution created a series of controversies ahead of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Moscow, as Russia warned that the adoption of the document would be another breach of international law and could create fresh tensions in the already unstable province.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, April 09, 2008
"Attempts are being made to draw a pseudo-legal basis for Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence. This reflects a continuation of Pristina's drive for separatism supported by its sponsors which runs counter to international law and is a violation of the UN charter, OSCE principles and Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council," Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
Moscow's warning came just a day after Kosovo Albanian leaders announced a rather ambitious plan to turn the freshly adopted document fully in force by mid-June, simultaneously with Western plans to cancel UN's Kosovo mission, and replace it with the new European Union's undertaking.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also warned that Kosovo's opponents to the province's unilateral independence would not accept its constitution either, aggravating the situation further, and urged action to find an acceptable solution through dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov also rejected the possibility that Russian troops might re-deploy in Kosovo, saying tha Moscow "sees no need" for such a move since it does not want to be in any way linked to the policy of "reverse ethnic cleansing".
"The recognition (of independent Kosovo) has failed to go as scheduled by those who incited Kosovo to declare independence," Lavrov said, adding that they planned to "persuade or force around 100 countries", but only 37 have agreed with over "50 states clearly stating that they will not" recognize Kosovo.
