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'Annul Kosovo independence'
17/02/2008 19:46 - (SA)
Moscow - Russia urged the United Nations on Sunday to annul Kosovo's declaration of independence and said it could cause an escalation in ethnic violence in the region.
The foreign ministry said: "We expect the United Nations mission and Nato-led forces in Kosovo to take immediate action to carry out their mandate... including the annulling of the decisions of Pristina's self-governing organs and the taking of tough administrative measures against them."
"The decisions by the Kosovo leadership create the risk of an escalation of tension and inter-ethnic violence in the province and of new conflict in the Balkans," it said.
A spokesperson for the Russian UN mission said Moscow had called for Security Council consultations on the Kosovo independence declaration made earlier in the day.
Belgrade branded Kosovo a "false state". The United States and most members of the European Union are expected to grant recognition soon.
Pandora's Box
Russia has backed its ally, Serbia, in opposing independence for Kosovo.
Before Sunday, it warned that recognising Kosovo independence would create a dangerous legal precedent, opening a "Pandora's Box" of separatist tension across Europe.
"Those who are considering supporting separatism should understand what dangerous consequences their actions threaten to have for world order, international stability and the authority of the UN Security Council's decisions that took decades to build," said the Russian foreign ministry.
"Russia fully supports the reaction of the Serbian leadership to the events in Kosovo and its justified demands to restore the territorial integrity of the country."
- Reuters
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