Russia: We'll seek basis and preconditions within UN Resolution 1244; the rest will be in vain

"I don't feel that a more favorable international situation and conditions for resolving the Kosovo issue exits now, especially when we see how the event in Poland went," Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko told Sputnik, assessing that America and other countries want to find a shortcut solution for Kosovo and Metohija.

"It all depends on states, people, efforts, desires and goodwill, because if all of that exists, then the key countries - and of course Serbia - can and must resolve the issue within international law and based on (UN) Resolution 1244, which still has a decisive role to play in resolving the issue," said Botsan-Kharchenko.

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"You can see from the media that the US and other countries want to find a quick solution, but I doubt it. However, my doubts do not mean that there is no desire to solve the Kosovo problem," he stressed.

Photo: Tanjug/Dragan Kujundzic

Botsan-Kharchenko also said that Russia believes that this format of the Belgrade-Pristina talks, with the mediation of the European Union, has been producing results.

"There are results on paper, too. The biggest problem, the one that has ultimately led these talks into a deadlock, is that there is no realization and implementation," he said.

"In real life, there is nothing, or mostly nothing, in terms of results. Another problem, of course, is the pressure on Belgrade, as before," added Botsan-Kharchenko.

"In any case, if this dialogue is established again, respecting Belgrade's demands, which are legally and lawfully fully founded - to abolish taxes, and other issues - it will be capable of delivering results," said the Russian ambassador.

Photo: Tanjug/Dragan Kujundzic

If there is a change of format, Botsan-Kharchenko added, one should bear in mind that Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, "and our approach to any issue that the Security Council is responsible for is serious, one of them being Kosovo."

"Of course, we must and want to participate and of course we will consider this possibility if Belgrade asks for it, but there is no doubt, we do not want and must not participate in something, in some conversation, which is not based on international law," the Russian diplomat indicated in the interview with Sputnik.

"We will resolutely look for the basis and preconditions within Resolution 1244, everything else will be in vain. It would indeed be a futile repetition of a harmful process that will not produce results," Botsan-Kharchenko concluded.

(Telegraf.rs)