In a recent interview with a Moscow-based newspaper, the Russian Foreign Minister lashed out at the NATO’s and the EU’s move to resolve the Kosovo issue outside the United Nations. Sergei Lavrov voiced surprise that the international community had remained tight-lipped about this surprise decision.
By doing so, Sergei Lavrov pointed out, the West virtually signaled that it might well do without the UN Security Council (UNSC) when fixing the most outstanding problems-something that clearly rides roughshod over the well-shaped system of international order.
It’s needless to say that this step is fraught with serious repercussions for the world community. Suffice it to remember what the situation was like on the eve of a US-led military operation against Iraq. Back then, the UN Security Council said its firm no to the incursion, while Washington moved to refer to its favorite tactics of ignoring UN protests. At the end of the day the on-going sectarian violence in Iraq prompted the White House to turn to the UNSC, which has always warned against the use of force in rectifying the situation in Iraq.
As far as EU members are concerned, they now also show unwillingness to tread cautiously around the Kosovo issue. The Foreign Ministers of Britain, Germany, France and Italy recently issued a statement to their EU colleagues, where they insisted that the potential for further negotiations over the future of Kosovo had been exhausted and it was the EU, which should take the lead in implementing the settlement-a move that also got a nod by NATO top officials. In other words, both the EU and the NATO currently prod Kosovo leaders to proclaim unilateral independence-a decision Serbia vehemently rejects.
It is safe to assume, therefore, that under the current state of affairs, the UNSC should try its best to prevent EU and NATO leadership from making unilateral steps regarding Kosovo. It is clear that any influential international organization, whether the EU, the NATO or others, should refrain from bypassing the UN in solving pressing international issues. With that, many political commentators fear that Kosovo’s possible independence may well lead to fueling separatist aspirations in the rest of the world.
As to Russia’s stance, it insists that the Kosovo issue should be resolved on the basis of the UNSC resolutions, which aim to resume a hard-won dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Moscow indicates that in a bid to reach a political accommodation, the two sides ought to consider fresh shapes of the dialogue rather than return to an ill-fated Ahtisaari’s plan, which sadly failed to add to resolving the problem.
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Russia is having fun watching the necons squirm .
This may have been the most informative school lector ever passed out for free . The NEW WORLD ORDER IS IN TROUBLE ! The Security council turned down the Iraq invasion , The neucons did it anyway and now want the U.N. to send troops . THE UN SHOULD SEND troops to IRAQ .when the United States hands over the war criminals that refused to follow the security council and have been running a criminal enterprize . Kinda like what they accussed Milosevic of conducted a criminal enterprize in Yugoslavia . United States and now NATO have gotten on the wrong side of sevral issues , and dont look to good . SERBIA AND RUSSIA ARE Now as OPPOSED TO THEM AS THEY WERE TO THE OLD NAZI’S .
This is not going to be easy to straighten out ,
Comment by eric — December 25, 2007 #