Moscow threatens the UN Security Council with a veto on the Kosovo issue

PanARMENIAN.Net - Meanwhile the US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns announced that the USA together with other countries are planning to consider the UN Resolution, allowing proclaiming the temporary government of Kosovo independent. In the nearest weeks and months we must act quickly to bring out the task to accomplishment and help to bring Kosovo to independence," Burns stated in his speech made in the Committee for International Relations of the House of Representatives on April 17. Burns holds the position of the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, which is the third in rank in the US Department of State.

A number of American legislators expressed their concern about the fact that Kosovo's independence will give birth to other regions' wish to get separated. Serbia and Kosovo Serbs are categorically against the country's independence. Russia, who possesses the right of veto in the Security Council, also expressed its concern about the issue.

"The decision, over which neither of the both parties has come to a common agreement, in my opinion, will bring to a real problem," the member of the House of Representatives, democratic representative from California Howard Berman warned Burns.

This resolution, in fact, will not grant independence to Kosovo," said Burns, and added that according to international law UNO, as the USA thinks, doesn't have the right to establish an independent state. "We believe, that after this resolution is passed… the leaders of Kosovo will proclaim their independence, - announced Burns, - Later the USA and other countries will recognize this independence." According to Burns America's aim is "to bring the process of identifying the status of Kosovo to its timely and successful completion by the end of this autumn."

The chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Tom Lantos, democrat from California, announced that Ahtisaari "has worked out his plan on the Kosovo issue with wisdom and patience." "Of course this decision is not perfect, - Lantos said, - I would prefer something else. However, a better option of the conflict regulation doesn't seem to exist. We have no more time to wait."

In its turn the president of Serbia Boris Tadich once again announced, that Belgrade will not recognize Kosovo's independence in any form. Besides, the president underlined that the matter of the future status may not be linked with Serbia's membership in EU. If we take into consideration the fact that Ahtisaari's plan is supported by EU as well, it's worth mentioning that Serbia is far from being in perfect terms with the Organization. Besides, 2 million Albanians live in Kosovo, refugees from the country live in Europe and this is already burden for the Europeans.

Analysts are inclined to think that Kosovo's independence may give birth to other conflicts, especially on the territory of the CIS countries, particularly when speaking about granting independence to Nagorno-Karabakh. "In case of recognizing Kosovo's independence automatically the issue of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh rises as well. But the International Community isn't ready yet for the recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Officially everybody speaks about territorial integrity, but I think, that the nation's right on self-determination is the most important factor in conflict resolution," political scientist Stepan Grigoryan says.

The UN Security Council is composed of 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members. The decision of the Security Council is considered taken, if 9 out of 15 members vote for. However 5 permanent members - Great Britain, China, Russia, USA and France - may set a veto on the decision. In the coming weeks the USA and Europe will try to make diplomatic efforts to convince Russia not to put any veto on the Resolution on the Kosovo issue.