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Indulgence of Kosovar Albanians ambitions hampers settlement - FM

Moscow welcomed the appointment of new U.N. Special Representative for Kosovo Farid Zarif

MOSCOW, October 13 (Itar-Tass) — The indulgence of Kosovar Albanians’ ambitions hampers the settlement of the situation in Kosovo, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

Moscow welcomed the appointment of new U.N. Special Representative for Kosovo Farid Zarif. “We know him as an experienced diplomat who has a considerable record of service in the U.N. system. We hope that this decision will give a new impetus to the activity of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo that should make considerable contribution to the Kosovar settlement in cooperation with other international presences,” Lukashevich stressed.

At the same time, Russia believes that the solution of this problem “is possible only by direct talks between the interested sides on the basis of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 that remains in force”. “The non-easy situation in Kosovo envisages preserving the leading role of the Security Council in the settlement. The U.N. Security Council remains a guarantor for observing international law, the U.N. Charter and the Council’s decisions,” the diplomat said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said Russia watched the situation in this province. “We believe that the indulgence of Kosovar Albanians’ ambitions, the withdrawal from the neutrality status of international presence and the stake on the use of force lead to negative consequences for the Kosovar settlement and cause damage to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,” he stressed.

The escalation of violence in Kosovo “is fraught with the growth of tension in the Western Balkan region”. He expressed hope that during the contacts, Belgrade and Pristina “will find optimal parameters to continue the talks between Serbian and Kosovar Albanian representatives”.

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