Serbia Rejects U.N. Plan for Independent Kosovo
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By CRAIG S. SMITH
Published: February 2, 2007
PRISTINA, Kosovo, Feb. 2 — Serbia rejected a United Nations proposal today that paves the way for an independent Kosovo, setting up a possible showdown between its supporter, Russia, and the West over the disputed territory’s final status.
Serbia’s response came almost immediately after a United Nations envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, presented the complex plan to politicians here and in Belgrade.
“I told Mr. Ahtisaari that Serbia and I, as its president, will never accept Kosovo’s independence,” President Boris Tadic said in a statement from Belgrade. He noted that while the plan does not mention statehood for Kosovo, it “opens the possibility for Kosovo’s independence.”
The proposal, which is still subject to weeks of negotiation between the two sides, will require Russian acquiescence in order to win Security Council approval. Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power over the plan, has until now backed Serbia’s position that Kosovo must remain an integral, albeit autonomous, part of Serbia.
A NATO bombing campaign stopped fighting between Serb and Kosovo Albanian forces in 1999 and put the disputed territory under United Nations administration. It has been in limbo since then. Mr. Ahtisaari’s proposal is intended to finally fix the province’s future, closing the last chapter of the 1990’s Balkan wars.
While the plan does not mention independence, its provisions describe de facto statehood for Kosovo — providing for an army, constitution and flag — though it would still be protected by NATO and overseen by the international community for the indefinite future. The plan would also allow Kosovo to declare independence if the package is approved by the Security Council.
Mr. Ahtisaari avoided addressing the subject of independence today at news conferences in Belgrade and Pristina, saying only that “there will be a clear definition of Kosovo’s status when I submit my proposals to the Security Council.”
He did not expect the provisions regarding Kosovo’s status to change much before then, he said.
“Let’s face it,” he said, “the positions of the parties are extremely firm on both sides, so on the question of status, I’m not very hopeful” that there will be any more progress toward a compromise.
That shifts the onus to Russia and, to a lesser extent, China, both of which have supported Serbia’s territorial claims — in part, over concerns about ethnically motivated secessionist movements in their own countries.
In Russia, officials have long said they would not back any solution that was not supported by Serbia, effectively ruling out a forced separation, even one that stopped short of outright independence.
By tonight, the Russian government had not responded officially, but Leonid E. Slutsky, deputy chairman of the international affairs committee of the lower house of Parliament, said that Mr. Ahtisaari’s proposal was far from the last word.
“It raises many questions,” he said, according to Interfax, “and it appears to me that any haste in trying to implement this plan may bring negative consequences.”
The question now is what Russia will demand in exchange for dropping its objections to the plan, if it is willing to drop them at all.
Mr. Ahtisaari did not give a timetable for taking the plan to the Security Council, but said he would set aside the rest of February for further negotiations with the two sides.
The proposal provides for the province’s United Nations administration to be replaced by an International Civilian Representative who would have veto power over all government decisions for an indefinite period. It also foresees a multiethnic Kosovo security force of 2,500 troops and 800 reserves as well as a domestic intelligence agency to monitor threats to internal security.
The plan calls for the disbanding of the Kosovo Protection Force, which consists primarily of former fighters from the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought Serbia and has been charged with human rights violations against Serbs.
Kosovo Serbs in six municipalities would be granted wide autonomy powers, including the right to receive financial donations and technical assistance from Serbia. The proposal would also establish more than 40 “protected zones” limiting building and commercial activity around Serbian churches and monasteries.
A constitution, to be written by a 21-member Constitutional Commission, will need a two-thirds majority for approval by Kosovo’s Parliament. Kosovo Serbs and other minorities will be consulted on the document but the proposal does not require them to be included in the commission.
Serbs and other minorities would be guaranteed seats in the Parliament and have the power to block legislation of “special interest” to them. But Mr. Ahtisaari said Friday that the provision could not be used to block more important measures, such as the constitution or a declaration of Kosovo’s independence.
In Belgrade the mood was glum. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who refused to meet with Mr. Ahtisaari, called the proposal “illegitimate,” saying that it violated the United Nations Charter because it would “divide Serbia’s territory and redraw its internationally recognized borders.”
The proposal was met with only muted optimism in Pristina. “Kosovo will be sovereign like all other countries,” said Kosovo’s president, Fatmir Sejdiu, after his meeting with Mr. Ahtisaari. The territory’s prime minister, Agim Ceku, said the document “is very clear for Kosovo’s future.”
Not everyone is so sure. Albin Hurti, a Kosovo Albanian whose Movement for Self-Determination has called for protests against the proposal on Feb. 10, argues that Mr. Ahtisaari’s soft and slow approach to Kosovo’s independence will give Serbia time to strengthen its hold on Kosovo’s Serb areas. “This plan will lead to more conflicts,” he said.
Xhimajl Kilminda, 53, a graphic designer, watching the news on television at his apartment in Pristina, said he was hoping for immediate independence but was nonetheless encouraged by the news.
“Now we have to wait,” he said. “I hope we will have independence soon.”
Steven Lee Myers contributed from Moscow
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/02/world/europe/02cnd-kosovo.html?
Article Tools Sponsored By
By CRAIG S. SMITH
Published: February 2, 2007
PRISTINA, Kosovo, Feb. 2 — Serbia rejected a United Nations proposal today that paves the way for an independent Kosovo, setting up a possible showdown between its supporter, Russia, and the West over the disputed territory’s final status.
Serbia’s response came almost immediately after a United Nations envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, presented the complex plan to politicians here and in Belgrade.
“I told Mr. Ahtisaari that Serbia and I, as its president, will never accept Kosovo’s independence,” President Boris Tadic said in a statement from Belgrade. He noted that while the plan does not mention statehood for Kosovo, it “opens the possibility for Kosovo’s independence.”
The proposal, which is still subject to weeks of negotiation between the two sides, will require Russian acquiescence in order to win Security Council approval. Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power over the plan, has until now backed Serbia’s position that Kosovo must remain an integral, albeit autonomous, part of Serbia.
A NATO bombing campaign stopped fighting between Serb and Kosovo Albanian forces in 1999 and put the disputed territory under United Nations administration. It has been in limbo since then. Mr. Ahtisaari’s proposal is intended to finally fix the province’s future, closing the last chapter of the 1990’s Balkan wars.
While the plan does not mention independence, its provisions describe de facto statehood for Kosovo — providing for an army, constitution and flag — though it would still be protected by NATO and overseen by the international community for the indefinite future. The plan would also allow Kosovo to declare independence if the package is approved by the Security Council.
Mr. Ahtisaari avoided addressing the subject of independence today at news conferences in Belgrade and Pristina, saying only that “there will be a clear definition of Kosovo’s status when I submit my proposals to the Security Council.”
He did not expect the provisions regarding Kosovo’s status to change much before then, he said.
“Let’s face it,” he said, “the positions of the parties are extremely firm on both sides, so on the question of status, I’m not very hopeful” that there will be any more progress toward a compromise.
That shifts the onus to Russia and, to a lesser extent, China, both of which have supported Serbia’s territorial claims — in part, over concerns about ethnically motivated secessionist movements in their own countries.
In Russia, officials have long said they would not back any solution that was not supported by Serbia, effectively ruling out a forced separation, even one that stopped short of outright independence.
By tonight, the Russian government had not responded officially, but Leonid E. Slutsky, deputy chairman of the international affairs committee of the lower house of Parliament, said that Mr. Ahtisaari’s proposal was far from the last word.
“It raises many questions,” he said, according to Interfax, “and it appears to me that any haste in trying to implement this plan may bring negative consequences.”
The question now is what Russia will demand in exchange for dropping its objections to the plan, if it is willing to drop them at all.
Mr. Ahtisaari did not give a timetable for taking the plan to the Security Council, but said he would set aside the rest of February for further negotiations with the two sides.
The proposal provides for the province’s United Nations administration to be replaced by an International Civilian Representative who would have veto power over all government decisions for an indefinite period. It also foresees a multiethnic Kosovo security force of 2,500 troops and 800 reserves as well as a domestic intelligence agency to monitor threats to internal security.
The plan calls for the disbanding of the Kosovo Protection Force, which consists primarily of former fighters from the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought Serbia and has been charged with human rights violations against Serbs.
Kosovo Serbs in six municipalities would be granted wide autonomy powers, including the right to receive financial donations and technical assistance from Serbia. The proposal would also establish more than 40 “protected zones” limiting building and commercial activity around Serbian churches and monasteries.
A constitution, to be written by a 21-member Constitutional Commission, will need a two-thirds majority for approval by Kosovo’s Parliament. Kosovo Serbs and other minorities will be consulted on the document but the proposal does not require them to be included in the commission.
Serbs and other minorities would be guaranteed seats in the Parliament and have the power to block legislation of “special interest” to them. But Mr. Ahtisaari said Friday that the provision could not be used to block more important measures, such as the constitution or a declaration of Kosovo’s independence.
In Belgrade the mood was glum. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who refused to meet with Mr. Ahtisaari, called the proposal “illegitimate,” saying that it violated the United Nations Charter because it would “divide Serbia’s territory and redraw its internationally recognized borders.”
The proposal was met with only muted optimism in Pristina. “Kosovo will be sovereign like all other countries,” said Kosovo’s president, Fatmir Sejdiu, after his meeting with Mr. Ahtisaari. The territory’s prime minister, Agim Ceku, said the document “is very clear for Kosovo’s future.”
Not everyone is so sure. Albin Hurti, a Kosovo Albanian whose Movement for Self-Determination has called for protests against the proposal on Feb. 10, argues that Mr. Ahtisaari’s soft and slow approach to Kosovo’s independence will give Serbia time to strengthen its hold on Kosovo’s Serb areas. “This plan will lead to more conflicts,” he said.
Xhimajl Kilminda, 53, a graphic designer, watching the news on television at his apartment in Pristina, said he was hoping for immediate independence but was nonetheless encouraged by the news.
“Now we have to wait,” he said. “I hope we will have independence soon.”
Steven Lee Myers contributed from Moscow
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/02/world/europe/02cnd-kosovo.html?
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