Kosovo independence has solved no problems

"Kosovo independence has solved no problems"


27 March 2008

Russia's representative to EU Vladimir Chizhov says Kosovo's unilateral independence has not solved any problems.Speaking to Moscow daily Vremya Novosti, Chizhov reiterated that the order that had existed in Kosovo until February 17 had been defined by Resolution 1244 as temporary until a final solution was found.


“However, recognition of the unilateral independence declaration by thirty or so states out of 200 does not solve the problem. Kosovo’s status will remain undetermined until a stable international-legal solution is found,”

the Russian diplomat predicted. Asked whether Belgrade’s proposal for divided authorities in majority Serb regions would lead to a partition of the province, he said no.

“The Belgrade proposal, to our knowledge, does not mention the issue of partition of Kosovo. It concerns cooperation between Belgrade and the UN mission in the interests of implementing Resolution 1244, which envisages assistance to national minorities,” Chizhov explained.

Asked whether the EU was seeking to extend the powers of its special representative Pieter Feith, as it had done for International High Representative Miroslav Lajčak in Bosnia-Hercegovina, the Russian official replied that this was impossible.

“The framework that the EU is bringing to Kosovo is borrowed to a great extent from the Martti Ahtisaari Plan. He virtually copied it from the Dayton Peace Accords for Bosnia-Hercegovina, which stipulate the functions of the high representative. But, in that instance, the decision was sanctioned by Resolution 1031,” he pointed out.

“In Kosovo, however, there is no international-legal basis for implementing a similar plan. Its initiators, who’ve created some sort of ‘international steering group’ do not have the moral or legal right to claim to be expressing the will of the international community,” Chizhov concluded.