By Tony Barber in Brussels
Russia warned yesterday that the European Union would set a dangerous precedent in international law and harm the authority of the United Nations by recognising Kosovo’s independence and sending a security mission to Serbia’s break-away province.
“It is quite obvious that such a development would create a serious negative precedent from the point of view of international law,” Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s ambassador to the EU, told a news briefing. “It will be seen as a precedent by many people, perhaps far too many people, across the world.”
Mr Chizhov was speaking shortly after the EU admitted defeat in its efforts to persuade Serbia’s government to send a delegation to Brussels today to sign an interim political agreement on free trade and visa liberalisation.
Pro-EU supporters of Boris Tadic, who was re-elected Serbian president last Sunday, were willing to sign the accord. But Vojislav Kostunica, the nationalist prime minister, denounced the proposal as a deception behind which Serbia would be forced to accept deployment of the EU’s 1,800-strong law and order mission in Kosovo and recognition of the province’s secession by most EU countries.
A disappointed Olli Rehn, the European enlargement commissioner, who supports faster Serbian integration into the EU, said: “With this blockage, certain politicians [in Belgrade] are in a way filing for divorce before the marriage has even been agreed . . . In my view they have really failed to hear the voice of the Serbian people, who voted last Sunday in favour of Serbia’s European future.”
Russia contends that UN Security Council resolution 1244, which was passed in 1999 and authorises the presence of Nato-led forces in Kosovo, provides no legal basis for the EU to send a security mission of its own there - a point that has privately caused concern to some EU governments, too.
The EU is nevertheless putting the final touches to the mission’s operational plan, and EU foreign ministers may give the go-ahead when they next meet on February 18.
In spite of Russia’s irritation with the EU and US over Kosovo, Mr Chizhov made clear that Moscow would refrain from extreme retaliatory measures such as disrupting gas deliveries to Europe.
Underlining that the Kremlin had never taken such steps, even during the cold war, he said: “We don’t mix energy and economic problems with political problems.” Instead, Russia would block Kosovo’s acceptance into international institutions and might bring up the Kosovo issue in the Russia-Nato Council, an institution set up in 2002 to promote mutual dialogue, he said.
Noting that up to seven of the EU’s 27 member states were unlikely to recognise Kosovo immediately, he said: “With those countries that recognise, this will be a thorn in our political dialogue. With those that don’t, there won’t be such a thorn.”
Mr Chizhov also predicted that Serbia was likely to take counter-measures in the event of western recognition of Kosovo. “I would certainly suggest that that fact should not be underestimated or miscalculated,” he said.
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I dont see why the Russian should export energy to countries that like to cuase problems . Why would Russia want to furnish fuel for trouble makers to travel around on . Surely Russia can find countries to buy their fuel . The big EU bullies can buy from Suadi Arabia , thats who they are doing all their favors for .
Comment by eric — February 8, 2008 #