[ALBSA-Info] Putin attacks UN policy and supports Kostunica

[Iris Pilika]

President Kostunica, a moderate nationalist, said that “many mistaken moves 
by the international community in Kosovo have destabilised the whole region 
through extremist acts in southern Serbia and Macedonia and most recently 
threats to northern Greece”.



The Times

MONDAY JUNE 18 2001

Putin attacks UN policy in the Balkans

FROM JOHN PHILLIPS IN BELGRADE

PRESIDENT Putin of Russia condemned Western policy in Kosovo and the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia during a visit to Yugoslavia yesterday and, 
in a move likely to infuriate Kosovo’s Albanians, ruled out any redrawing of 
Balkan borders.

Speaking to reporters during a surprise trip to Kosovo, he said that it 
would be “extremely dangerous and destructive” to discuss any border 
changes. “If an end is not put to this, we will never complete the process 
of settling the situation in the region,” he was quoted as saying by 
Russia’s Interfax news agency.

He had earlier told Russian commanders in the Yugoslav province that his 
policy was aimed at promoting a comprehensive settlement to ethnic strife in 
the region.

“We are laying down this particular principle as the basis of a Russian 
initiative . . . which will ensure strict observation of generally accepted 
basic principles of inter-state relations — first of all mutual recognition 
of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying.

Earlier he and President Kostunica of Yugoslavia had described Kosovo as the 
main source of instability in the Balkans. Both criticised the tactics of 
the United Nations. Mr Putin attacked a UN plan for self-government in 
Kosovo, saying that it was approved “in circumvention” of the UN Security 
Council and that it had a number of significant drawbacks.

“Too many concessions have been made to radicals,” Mr Putin said about the 
blueprint unveiled by Hans Haekkerup, the UN’s Kosovo governor, last month, 
which paves the way for province-wide elections on November 17. “The legal 
framework of future self-government is raised almost to the standard of a 
constitution.”

“Stability in the region is seriously threatened, above all by national 
religious extremism and intolerance, the main source of which today is in 
Kosovo,” President Putin told a news conference after two hours of talks 
with his Yugoslav counterpart in Belgrade. “We must do everything for the 
disarmament of the terrorists.”

The visit to Belgrade on Saturday was the first by a Russian head of state 
since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and was clearly aimed at 
stealing some of America’s thunder after the summit meeting in Slovenia 
between Presidents Bush and Putin last week.

“I agreed completely with President Kostunica that the international 
community’s task is to fulfil (UN) resolution 1244,” Mr Putin said. 
Resolution 1244 envisages substantial autonomy for Kosovo while maintaining 
Yugoslav sovereignty over the province.

President Putin’s remarks contrasted with reluctance last week by Nato 
leaders to respond to an appeal by the President Trajkovski of the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the alliance to disarm ethnic Albanian 
rebels fighting government forces.

President Kostunica, a moderate nationalist, said that “many mistaken moves 
by the international community in Kosovo have destabilised the whole region 
through extremist acts in southern Serbia and Macedonia and most recently 
threats to northern Greece”.

He told President Putin he was unhappy that the international community had 
failed to implement the return of Serb refugees to Kosovo and had not 
guaranteed security for the Serb minority. Moscow has repeatedly backed 
President Kostunica’s efforts to prevent Montenegro and Kosovo breaking away 
from the Yugoslav federation.


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