UN Security Council negotiations over the future of the Serbian province of Kosovo broke down yesterday, ending a last-ditch effort to secure a diplomatic resolution to Kosovo’s status.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad said the parties have reached “irreconcilable positions” and the “current situation is unsustainable.” Serbia’s president warned that it could trigger a “serious crisis” if Kosovo unilaterally declares independence.
At the meetings, Russia said recognizing Kosovo would be antithetical to the UN’s charter, illegal under the Security Council resolution that established Kosovo as a protectorate and would necessitate similar action in other provinces globally.
The New York Times says the breakdown signals that any resolution to Kosovo’s conflict will have to come from outside the United Nations, setting the stage for a politically messy process through which some countries will recognize an independent Kosovo and others won’t.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at
I would like to hear other’s views on the issue of Kosovo. I think in this instance the Russians may be right. I believe in the long run world stability is threatened by continuing to define national boundaries along ethnic-religious grounds. Perhaps I don’t fully understand the issue.