Serbia hopes UN Security Council will reject Kosovo’s independence

(Belgrade, DTT-NET.COM)-Serbia’s authorities are furious with latest support shown by UK government to Kosovo’s independence and said that whatever the position of London is, it’s up to the UN highest body to decide on the future status of UN administrated province.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has told UK’s political director of foreign ministry John Sawers that the final word belongs to the UN Security Council, which he believes will respect current official borders of Serbia and Montenegro state union and prevent Kosovo to become independent state.

Kostunica said that “ Serbia has full confidence that the Security Council will abide by the principles of international law in the process of finding a solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue, above all respecting the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of an internationally recognised state,” the government wrote at its website, following a meeting of Serbian PM with UK official who has sparked furious reactions to Kosovo Serbs and Serbia’s authorities, when he said in Prishtina that Kosovo’s independence depends on the respect of rights of Serbian minority.

According to Kosovo Serbs representatives, Sawers has also told them that major international powers from the Group (CG), (US, Russia, Germany, France, Italy and UK) have already made up their mind to accept the province become independent state, which Sawers denied yesterday during his visit in Belgrade.

Serbia’s government officials have threatened to quit UN intermediated talks with Ethnic Albanians, following UK top official statements.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, the head of Serbia’s coordinating team for Kosovo, told local media that Serbian government should reconsider its participation at the future talks on Kosovo status rescheduled for the end 20 February.

Sawers visit to the region comes a week after major international powers of the CG for Kosovo called on Belgrade “to bear in mind that the settlement needs, inter-alia, to be acceptable to the people of Kosovo. “

The sentence is understood in Kosovo and also by western observers as support by all CG member nations to the political will of Ethnic Albanians (who represent the majority of Kosovo population) for independence.

Kosovo is officially part of Serbia-Montenegro and is being ruled by UNMIK since mid-June 1999, when NATO drove out Serbian military and police forces, marking the end of the crackdown on ethnic Albanians by Serbian regime then led by Slobodan Milosevic.

Direct talks between Kosovo and Serbia authorities intermediated by UN envoy Martti Ahtissari, are expected to be difficult and long, as both sides have extremely opposed demands on the future of the Kosovo.

Ethnic Albanians insist on independence and final split form Serbia and Montenegro, while Serbia's representatives oppose it.
Serbia hopes that Russia (a traditional ally) and China which are permanent members of the UNSC will opposite Kosovo’s independence.