Statement by Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, at the open VTC of UNSC members on UNMIK
We welcome participation of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Ivica Dačić. Mr. Minister, I must say that we share the profound concerns you expressed over the situation in Kosovo, which remains unstable and needs attention of the international community. We also listened carefully to Ms. Haradinaj – Stublla.
We thank Special Representative Zahir Tanin for a very informative briefing on the situation in the Province. We believe the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo remains the major international presence that acts on the basis of UN Security Council resolution 1244. We thank you for the unbiased assessments of the situation in the Province and the information on the progress of Kosovo settlement. We fully support your work and are convinced that you should always have enough material and staff resources to proceed with effective action.
Under a UN general Assembly decision, the European Union is an authorized mediator in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The EU should ensure that sides unconditionally meet their obligations, especially in terms of implementing previous agreements.
At the same time, tangible results are far not numerous. Here is a vivid example of Pristina's intractability: for 7 and half years it has been sabotaging the process of creating a Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo. On 14 October, when meeting with EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák, Avdullah Hoti again precluded a possibility of endowing the Community with executive authorities, even though it directly stems from the Brussels Agreement of April, 2013. We hope that under the leadership of M. Lajčák who was appointed in April, 2020, the European mediation will gain momentum and translate into progress for resolving Kosovo’s problem.
Our American colleagues also boosted mediation activities. We have taken note of the documents that the sides signed in Washington on 4 September. We assume their implementation will go in line with efforts to help Belgrade and Pristina find mutually acceptable solutions. Besides, all should realize that UNSC resolution 1244 remains the international legal framework for Kosovo settlement.
It is also important to be mindful of what has not been implemented yet, despite many pledges. Thus, ever since the release of D.Marti’s report at PACE in 2010, we have been waiting for a just international investigation of grave crimes committed on Kosovar territory. In 2020, there was a positive development on that matter - Kosovo Specialist Chambers for investigation of crimes committed by the “Kosovo Liberation Army” started the real work. At the same time, we are concerned by scandals evolving around this body, leakages of documents, reported elimination of witnesses, use of the case’s materials for internal political struggle. We insist that all those guilty must be held accountable and subject to the due penalty, regardless of the offices they currently hold.
We see no improvement of the situation in the Province in terms of security and upholding the rights of non-Albanian communities. This shows itself through recurring cases of intimidation, seizures and vandalism of property, cemeteries, and facilities of Serbian Orthodox Church. This mentioned, we can hardly speak of return of IDPs and refugees.
What needs specific focused attention is the task of ensuring the reliable protection of Orthodox sites in Kosovo. On 16 June 2020, first segment of a highway that links Kosovo and Montenegro and runs through the protected area of the Visoki Dečani Monastery started its operation. This happened contrary to the ruling of the Kosovo Court that has international judges among its members. We emphasize that this is not an internal Kosovar issue, because the Monastery lists among UNESCO world heritage sites. We believe the leading role in influencing Kosovar authorities is to be played by the KFOR and EULEX that hold respective mandates. Against this backdrop, we believe it imprudent and groundless to consider a question of Kosovo’s accession to international organizations, such as UNESCO.
The Province remains a comfort zone for recruiting all sorts of terrorists. Return of former ISIL militants to Kosovo works as a time bomb, posing a threat to peace and stability in the region.
Let me refer to one more troublesome aspect that needs our constant attention. It is outrageous that the Security Council still has received no account of penalty for those guilty of detaining and beating UNMIK personnel (among them a Russian national – M.Krasnoshchekov) on 28 May, 2019, in Zubin Potok municipality. This issue must not be “worn out”. To ignore a blatant attack on UN personnel means to erode safety and security of the Organization’s staff in all countries of the globe. Here we deal with obvious desire of Kosovo-Albanian authorities to oust the UN Mission from the Province. The Mission has to operate amidst precarious circumstances – it is de-facto boycotted by the authorities in Pristina.
Another serious problem is steps to establish a “Kosovo Army” that are supported by a number of states. In the first place, it contradicts UNSC resolution 1244, escalates the situation and may destabilize not only Kosovo, but the Balkans at large.
We are concerned over the reports about yet another joint session of the Government of Albania and the so-called ministerial cabinet of Kosovo that took place on 2 October, 2020, in Tirana. We cannot but be bothered by one of the meeting’s points – that there is a need to “erase borders” between Albania and Kosovo. Such get-togethers are an interference in domestic affairs of sovereign Serbia, of which Kosovo is a constituent part.
Everything that was previously mentioned shows that the problems of the Province accumulate rather than get solved.
Russia’s position on Kosovo is very coherent. We advocate for Belgrade and Pristina achieving a viable and mutually acceptable solution on the basis of UNSC resolution 1244. This solution must abide by the international law and be endorsed by the Security Council. Pushing and imposing other scenarios will not lead to the desired result.
