Security
Council condemns mob attacks against embassies in Serbian capital
21 February 2008 – Security Council members have condemned
today’s mob attacks against embassies in the Serbian capital,
Belgrade, which have endangered diplomatic personnel and resulted
in damage to embassy buildings.
In a statement to the press, Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias
of Panama, which holds the rotating Council presidency, stressed
“the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic
missions.”
He noted that the 1961 Vienna
Convention on diplomatic relations obliges host governments to
take “all appropriate steps” to protect embassy premises.
“In this context, the
members of the Security Council welcome the steps taken by the
Serbian authorities to restore order and protect diplomatic property
and personnel,” the statement added.
The mob attacks took place amid
protests in Belgrade today over last Sunday’s decision by
the Assembly of Kosovo’s Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
to declare independence from Serbia.
In a related development, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative Joachim Rucker
told UN Radio that it was crucial that Kosovo be “multi-ethnic.”
“I think it’s very
important that the Kosovo Serbs are perceived as part of the future
Kosovo,” Mr. Rücker, who also heads the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said.
Ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs
and other minorities by nine to one in Kosovo, which was administered
by the UN after Western forces drove out Yugoslav forces amid
inter-ethnic fighting over eight years ago.
Mr. Rücker said that the
two sides must cooperate and engage in dialogue. “We all
have to be careful, understanding, sensible and sensitive to the
need of each community and to build on that.”
Both Mr. Rücker and Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon have in recent days emphasized the need for everyone
in Kosovo to exercise calm and to respect UNMIK and the NATO-led
Kosovo Force, or KFOR.
Belgrade and Pristina had been
unable to reach agreement on Kosovo’s status, which had
been the subject of months of negotiations led by the troika,
comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States. That
group was set up after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by
Mr. Ban’s Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased
process of independence for Kosovo.
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Violence not
an option, stresses UN envoy to Kosovo
20 February 2008 – All
sides in Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on
Sunday, must refrain from violence, the top United Nations official
there said today, noting that the situation is currently calm
following yesterday’s attacks on two border crossings.
“Violence is absolutely not an option and it will not be
tolerated in Kosovo,” the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative, Joachim Rücker, told reporters in Pristina
following a meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi.
The UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), headed by Mr. Rücker, reports
that the two crossing gates in northern Mitrovica that had been
closed as a result of yesterday’s attacks by Serb fringe
groups have been re-opened.
Mr. Rücker said he saw
the attacks as a “one-time incident” and that it was
responded to in an appropriate way.
Both Mr. Rücker and Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon have in recent days stressed the need for everyone
in Kosovo, which the UN has run since 1999, to exercise calm and
respect UNMIK and the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR.
Other than yesterday’s
attack, the situation has remained generally calm since the Assembly
of Kosovo’s Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
adopted a resolution on Sunday declaring its independence from
Serbia.
Belgrade and Pristina were unable
to reach agreement on Kosovo’s status, which had been the
subject of months of negotiations led by the troika, comprising
the European Union, Russia and the United States. That group was
set up after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Mr. Ban’s
Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence
for Kosovo.
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Kosovo:
UN envoy speaks out against attacks by Serb fringe groups
19 February 2008 – While
the situation on the ground in Kosovo, which declared its independence
from Serbia on Sunday, remains calm overall, the United Nations
mission there reported violent attacks today by Serb fringe groups
on two boundary crossings in the north.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Kosovo,
Joachim Rücker, condemned the attacks on the crossings at
gates in northern Mitrovica, which resulted in the destruction
of property, saying “any violence is completely unacceptable
and will not be tolerated.”
Mr. Rücker, who heads the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), added that
he expects all citizens to exercise calm and respect UNMIK and
the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR, which will continue to ensure
a safe and secure environment throughout Kosovo.
Yesterday, Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to ensure the stability of Kosovo,
which the UN has run since 1999, and the safety and security of
its population, after the Assembly of Kosovo’s Provisional
Institutions of Self-Government adopted a resolution on Sunday
declaring its independence from Serbia.
He urged all sides to “refrain
from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite
violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region,”
as the Security Council also debated the latest developments.
Belgrade and Pristina were unable
to reach agreement on Kosovo’s status, which had been the
subject of months of negotiations led by the troika, comprising
the European Union, Russia and the United States. That group was
set up after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Mr. Ban’s
Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence
for Kosovo.
Serbian President Boris Tadic
appealed to the Council to declare Kosovo’s “unilateral
and illegal” declaration of independence “null and
void,” noting that the action taken by the Kosovo Assembly
violates UN resolution 1244, which reaffirms Serbia’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity.
But several other Council
members, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France
and Belgium, indicated their support during yesterday’s
debate for the “new state of Kosovo.”
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Ban
Ki-moon urges restraint by all sides after Kosovo declares independence
18 February 2008 – As
the Security Council debated Kosovo's declaration of independence
from Serbia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to
ensure the stability of the province run by the United Nations
since 1999 and the safety and security of its population.
“I urge all to reaffirm
and act upon their commitments to refrain from any actions or
statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize
security in Kosovo and the region,” Mr. Ban told an open
meeting of the Council, convened at the request of Russia and
Serbia.
“My efforts – and
those of my Special Representative in Kosovo – are aimed
at ensuring that the political and security situation in Kosovo
and in the wider region remains stable, and that the population
of Kosovo, and in particular, the minority communities are protected,”
he added.
Mr. Ban said that the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has been overseeing
the province since Western forces drove out Yugoslav forces amid
inter-ethnic fighting over eight years ago, will continue to carry
out its mandate, pending guidance from the Security Council.
In addition, the Secretary-General
noted the European Union's decision to deploy a rule of law mission
and an EU Special Representative for Kosovo.
Last December, the troika –
comprising the EU, Russia and the United States – told the
Council in a report that despite four months of intense and high-level
negotiations, Belgrade and Pristina have been unable to reach
agreement on Kosovo's final status. The troika was established
after a stalemate emerged over a proposal by Mr. Ban's Special
Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, for a phased process of independence
for Kosovo.
Serbian President Boris Tadic
appealed to the Council to declare Kosovo's “unilateral
and illegal” declaration of independence “null and
void,” stressing that yesterday's action by the Kosovo Parliament
violates Security Council resolution 1244 which reaffirms Serbia's
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Serbia will never recognize
the independence of Kosovo,” he declared. “We shall
never renounce Kosovo and we shall not give up the struggle for
our legitimate interests. For the citizens of Serbia and its institutions,
Kosovo will forever remain a part of Serbia.”
Supporting Serbia's call, Russian
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin emphasized that the declaration by Kosovo's
leadership sets a “dangerous precedent,” and may lead
to an escalation of tensions and inter-ethnic violence in the
province, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities
by nine to one.
“A durable and sustainable
solution to the Kosovo status issue can be achieved only on the
basis of a decision to be worked out with the leading role of
the UN Security Council, which would fully comply with the norms
of international law and be based on agreements between Belgrade
and Pristina,” he stated.
Meanwhile, several Council
members indicated their support for the “new state of Kosovo,”
including the United Kingdom, United States, France and Belgium.
British Ambassador John Sawers
noted that “it is not ideal for Kosovo to become independent
without the consent of Serbia and without consensus in this Council.”
At the same time, “the
unique circumstances of the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia
and the unprecedented UN administration of Kosovo make this a
sui generis case, which creates no wider precedent, as all EU
member States today agreed,” he stated.
Likewise, US Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad said it was important to remember “how we got
to where we are,” noting Kosovo's independence was a culmination
of a long and unique process.
Intensive efforts to settle
the final status of Kosovo had left no stone unturned, but the
parties had been unable to reach agreement, he stated, adding
that “Kosovo's leadership acted in a mature, non-violent
and responsible manner.”
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Security Council
holds emergency talks on Kosovo
17 February 2008 – At
the request of the Russian Federation, the United Nations Security
Council today held an emergency closed-door session to discuss
Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, with a formal
meeting slated for Monday.
The Council was briefed today
by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the latest developments in
Kosovo, the Serbian province run by the UN since Western forces
drove out Yugoslav forces amid inter-ethnic fighting in 1999.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr. Ban said he had been informed
by his Special Representative and Head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Joachim Rücker, that the Assembly
of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government earlier
today adopted a resolution declaring Kosovo's independence.
In addition, the President
of Serbia had informed the Secretary-General in a letter that
his country had adopted a decision which states that the declaration
of independence by Kosovo “represents a forceful and unilateral
secession of a part of the territory of the Republic of Serbia
and does not produce any legal effect either in the Republic of
Serbia or in the international legal order.”
Other than a reported explosion
in north Mitrovica, Mr. Ban said the situation in Kosovo remains
“calm and no other major incidents are reported.”
In addition, Serbian government officials, with the help of UNMIK,
are visiting several locations in Kosovo.
The Secretary-General called
on all sides “to reaffirm and act upon their commitments
to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger
peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the
region.”
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin
told reporters that he expected the UN to declare the Kosovo's
“unilateral proclamation of independence null and void,”
based on existing Security Council resolutions and relevant documents.
“Our concern is for the
safety of Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo,” he stated,
adding that Russia will “strongly warn against any attempts
at repressive measures should Serbs in Kosovo decide not to comply
with this unilateral proclamation of independence.”
Tomorrow's meeting comes at the request of Russia and Serbia,
and Mr. Churkin said he expects President Boris Tadic of Serbia
to participate.
Kosovo's final status has been
the subject of months of negotiations led by the troika –
comprising the European Union, Russia and the United States –
but to no avail. Belgrade and Pristina were unable to reach agreement
with the province's Albanian leadership favouring independence
while Serbia opposes it.
“Today's events thus represent
the conclusion of a status process that has exhausted all avenues
in pursuit of a negotiated outcome,” Ambassador Johan Verbeke
of Belgium told reporters after the closed-door meeting, adding
that “it sets no wider precedent.”
Speaking on behalf of the European
Union members of the Council (Belgium, France, Italy and United
Kingdom), as well as Croatia, Germany and the United States, he
regretted the failure to secure a mutually agreed solution. “But
the status quo had become unsustainable and a coordinated and
stable process with international support is better than prolonged
instability,” he said.
Mr. Verbeke added that European
Union foreign ministers will meet tomorrow in Brussels to determine
“how to react to today's developments.”
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