Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin exited angrily from a UN
Security Council meeting Monday after a "sermon" by UN special
representative Joachim Rucker advocating "outright independence"
for Kosovo.
Churkin clarified later that he had not walked out since his
aide remained in attendance at the closed session on the future of
Kosovo.
"There was a strong Russian statement, you can report that,"
Churkin told reporters after the meeting adjourned.
"I was very upset by what I heard from Mr. Rucker today,"
Churkin told reporters after walking out. "His remarks have been
extremely one-sided and unhelpful."
Churkin lambasted Rucker for surpassing the authority vested in
him by "preaching for independence instead of discussing
implementation of Resolution 1244," adopted by the UN Security
Council on June 10, 1999.
Rucker, for his part, defended his statements, saying that he
had only been "describing the perceptions on the ground."
This tempestuous exchange Monday came a day after Russia asked
for UN special envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari to be
replaced.
"If there is no agreement, and so far as we understand there
isn't, that means it is necessary to continue talks and to appoint
a new special representative," the Interfax news agency quoted
Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov as saying on Sunday.
Ahtisaari's plan, which would ultimately provide Kosovo with
independence, has been welcomed in the West. It has however met
with steely opposition from Russia, which fears it would legitimize
independence movements in other European regions.
Churkin on Monday avoided the issue of replacing Ahtisaari,
declaring the main urge should be to continue negotiations with
"those who push for more progress in the negotiations."
"We do not see how the Security Council can back a solution
which imposes certain things when Resolution 1244 has not been
implemented due to its standards being too low or where the Council
condones severing a part of a sovereign country, " Churkin
said.
"There must be a serious effort for negotiation and the kind of
preaching of an inevitability and absolute need for immediate
solution on the status ... are unhelpful," he said.
At Monday's regular press briefing, UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, spoke of Ban's full
confidence in Ahtisaari. "This process has to go on and Mr.
Ahtisaari is in charge."
In Washington, the United States also echoed support for the
beleaguered Finnish diplomat.
"We think Mr. Ahtisaari is doing a good job with a very, very
tough issue," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "It
is time to bring some possible solution to the issue of
Kosovo."
Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, president for Serbia's Coordination Center
for Kosovo and Metohija, and Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu were
presented at Monday's session which saw Churkin storm out.
Rucker, the UN special representative, spoke of the Serbian
delegation's as being " totally incompatible with ... the situation
of the Kosovar Serbs in Kosovo."
"We do have the impression that isolated incidents are
misrepresented," Rucker said.
Dragana Ivanovic, press secretary for the Serbian mission to the
United Nations, said the last four months had seen 52 "ethnically
motivated attacks on Serbs and members of non-Albanian communities"
in Kosovo with 22 of them specifically targeting Serb returnees and
their property.
Ivanovic lashed them out, calling these "threats by Albanian
separatists and terrorists that are happening in Kosovo and
Metohija."
"We support the initiative to continue the negotiation process
and open dialogue, which will be conducted in good faith," Ivanovic
said. "We think that such talks can result in a compromise in a
negotiated solution in conformity with the UN Charter and equally
beneficial for both Serbs and Albanians and for their future."
(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2007)
