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Any independence plan for Kosovo unacceptable - Serbia FM

RIA Novosti

07/06/2007 16:52 MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti) - Independence for Serbia's separatist region of Kosovo is unacceptable to Belgrade in any form, Serbia's foreign minister said Thursday.

Vuk Jeremic is in Russia on an official visit, his first visit outside of the Balkans following the formation of a new Cabinet in Belgrade May 15. He met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Wednesday.

"The imposition of independence on Kosovo would constitute a serious violation of international law," Jeremic told a press conference at RIA Novosti.

He said this applies both to Martti Ahtisaari's plan and a draft resolution now pending at the UN Security Council.

"They are utterly unacceptable," he said.

The minister said Belgrade would like to reach a compromise on the status of Kosovo that would suit both sides.

Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia supports the Serb government's efforts "to resolve all the tasks facing them, and we are also united on the Kosovo issue," adding that Moscow would not back a unilateral solution on Kosovo.

Kosovo, which has a population of two million, has been a UN protectorate since NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia ended a war between Serb forces and Muslim Albanian separatists in 1999.

While the Albanians have since demanded full independence, the sizeable Orthodox Serb minority has complained that their lives and religious sites would be at risk under the proposed setup.

The United States and the European Union have been pressing to grant sovereignty to the region, a proposal that has met with strong opposition from Serbia and Russia.

Russia's position is that any solution should be based on a compromise between Kosovo and Belgrade and compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Adopted in 1999, Resolution 1244 determined to resolve the grave humanitarian situation in Kosovo and to provide for the safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes, a requirement still far from being fulfilled.