The European Union and Russia failed at a meeting in Brdo,
Slovenia, on Wednesday to narrow their differences over Kosovo's
status.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference
after talks with the so-called EU troika that the two sides still
fundamentally differ.
The EU troika was represented by EU presidency Slovenia's
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, EU foreign policy chief Javier
Solana and EU Commissioner for External Relations and European
neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
"Where our positions differ, and differ fundamentally, it is
Kosovo," Lavrov said, adding, "Those differences have not been
overcome, because those deal with fundamentals of international
law."
"I do not feel great optimism about tomorrow's session," he
said, referring to the emergency UN Security Council meeting on
Kosovo to be held on Thursday in the request of Serbia and
Russia.
On the EU side, Ferrero-Waldner told reporters upon her arrival
at Brdo for the meeting that the EU believed the UN security
emergency meeting was not necessary.
"We do hope to be able to convince Russia that the status quo
(in Kosovo) is unsustainable," she said.
She also justified EU's would-be deployment of more than 1,800
police and judges in Kosovo by saying "The legal ground for us in
the EU is very clear. It's the 1244 UN Resolution."
The authorities of Kosovo, a breakaway province of Serbia, are
eagerly to unilaterally declare independence in a few days.
Most EU nations and the United States prepare to recognize it,
but a group of EU members, including Cyprus, Greece, Romania and
Spain, have not been in favor of one-sided declaration of
independence for Kosovo, which is likely to occur on Feb. 17.
Serbia and Russia strongly oppose the move, saying it would
trigger similar ones in other parts of the world and recognition of
it would violate international law and Serbia's territorial
integrity.
Only a solution forged in the UN Security Council without
bypassing Belgrade's wishes could be acceptable.
Though Lavrov said that Russia was convinced that it would be a
mistake if Kosovo's unilateral independence was recognized, Moscow
was not planning to take any punitive measures against the EU for
recognition.
"As for whether Russia intends to introduce any repressive
actions with regard to the European Union, that sounds a bit wild,
of course," he said.
"Russia does not have any punishment measures in the arsenal of
its foreign policy tools," Lavrov added.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2008)
