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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Russia firmly in favour of continuing Belgrade, Pristina dialogue

Belgrade, 19 April 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today, following talks with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov that he is convinced that the UN Security Council will not do anything this year which is opposed to what it did in 1999, when the Resolution 1244 was adopted which safeguards the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

Sergei Lavrov, left, and Vojislav Kostunica

Speaking at a joint press conference held following the meeting with Lavrov, Kostunica expressed the opinion that the Security Council will respect its basic document, the UN Charter and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.

He said that every threat of violence made by ethnic Albanian terrorists and any attempt at frightening foreign officials with these threats is blackmail, and all those who are using the threat of violence as an argument in resolving the issue of Kosovo-Metohija are accomplices in this violence.

Kostunica explained that recently, addressing the UN Security Council on Kosovo-Metohija, he thought that it is completely inconceivable that for the first time in the history of the UN a part of the territory of a member country could be seized.

I hope that justice will be stronger than might, and compromise will have precedence over an imposed solution. I base my optimism on that, said Kostunica.

The Serbian Prime Minister reiterated that the independence of Kosovo-Metohija is unacceptable for Serbia, and the acceptable solution is substantial autonomy for the province, according to the UN Charter.

Lavrov said on the occasion that Russia is firmly in favour of continued dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and stressed that a stable solution cannot be reached without an agreement, and there can be no agreement without negotiations.

He said that the plan presented by UN Special Envoy Marti Ahtisaari for resolving the issue of Kosovo-Metohija failed because it did not take into account the interests of one of the sides involved.

According to Lavrov, this plan failed like the plan of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for resolving the Cyprus issue.

Lavrov advocated a solution based on compromise for Kosovo-Metohija which would be acceptable both for Belgrade and Pristina, adding that the international community should help the two sides to reach that goal.

Speaking about whether Russia will veto a resolution on Kosovo-Metohija in the UN SC, Lavrov said that so far a draft resolution has not been made and that Russia will make the respective decision when such a resolution is prepared.

He said that Russia offers a constructive alternative to Ahtisaari's plan and believes that negotiations should be continued in order to find a solution acceptable for both sides.

Lavrov warned that an imposed solution would have negative consequences, adding that the solution to Kosovo issue should be sought within international law.

According to him, a UN SC mission that will visit Belgrade and Pristina next week will enable its members to see for themselves the real state of affairs in Kosovo-Metohija and the level of implementation of Resolution 1244.

That resolution was brought on the basis of consensus, but it is not implemented, Lavrov said and added that the UN SC is obliged to ensure that its previous decisions are fully implemented before taking a new action.

He voiced hope that this mission and implementation of Resolution 1244 will help find a just and acceptable solution for Kosovo-Metohija.