Sergei Lavrov: Kosovo resolution should base on international law

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Russia supports a Kosovo solution that is acceptable for both sides. This solution should be achieved via talks basing solely on international law," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint news conference with his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic.



"For understandable reasons we today focused mainly on discussing the situation around the settlement of the Kosovo problem. Russia and Serbia has a common stand. We see no solution other than that based on a solid foundation of international law and resulting from negotiated agreements," he said.



"There should be no preset solutions, there should be no artificial restrictions in time; there should be full respect for resolution 1244, which we should all comply with, and the guiding principles which were agreed upon in Europe. It was those principles that were taken as a basis for the work of the "troika" of European mediators consisting of Russia, the European Union and the United States of America. It is these principles that we shall guide ourselves by in the upcoming period of continued direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. The troika is to submit its report to the UN Secretary General by December 10. This by no means implies that the work is entirely over. Only the period will be over that the troika has been given to endeavor to find or outline solutions through direct negotiations between the parties. The question of Kosovo, in any case, remains within the remit and under the control of the UN Security Council, and this body alone can adopt decisions which will confirm further actions of the world community that will decide the issue of status for Kosovo. It's clear that the situation in Kosovo can't be viewed in isolation from the state of affairs in the Balkans as a whole," Mr Lavrov said.



"Our Serbian friends and we have identical approaches to how it is necessary to tackle the problems of stability in this hugely important region of Europe. It is necessary to avoid any solutions and moves which would create undesirable, illegal precedents which would undermine stability in the Balkans and beyond.



"Of other international problems, we actively cooperate with Serbia within such European organizations as the OSCE and the Council of Europe. We regularly compare our positions with respect to cooperation with the European Union, with respect to NATO and on the security architecture in Europe as a whole," he resumed, Russian MFA press office reported.