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Lavrov urges UN to respond to Kosovo’s attempts to strip Russian diplomat of immunity

Pristina’s steps show that it is dangerous to turn a blind eye to consistent and numerous violations of international law, Lavrov said

TOKYO, May 31. /TASS/. The United Nations needs to respond to Pristina’s attempts to revoke immunity of Russian diplomat Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, who is a member of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters during his visit to Japan on Friday.

"The absolutely unacceptable behavior of [the unrecognized Kosovo’s authorities] towards a Russian member of the UN mission in Kosovo cannot be justified in any way. And their attempts to strip our member of his powers and status, which the UN mission’s employees have, is a very serious issue, and the UN representatives should respond to it," Lavrov said.

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They [the Kosovo authorities] have clearly got out of hand of those who pretended to control them. Actually, they did not listen to anyone. The European Union and the United States tried to guide them," Lavrov said. "And the outcome is sad. As a result of this West’s patronage, the Kosovo authorities have the feeling of impunity and lawlessness."

Pristina’s steps show that it is dangerous to turn a blind eye to consistent and numerous violations of international law, Lavrov said. "We will strive to ensure that everyone respects the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1244, which outlined the conditions for the Kosovo settlement."

In the morning of May 28, special forces of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo launched a raid of the northern municipalities, and the subsequent gunfire resulted in two Serbs sustaining minor wounds. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told MPs that the Kosovo police special forces had put 28 people into custody, including Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, an employee of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The Russian diplomat was released on the same day and was hospitalized with serious head and facial injuries. More than 100 people were beaten during the police raid, Serbia’s Vecherne Novosti newspaper reported.

Leaders of the unrecognized Kosovo claimed that the Russian diplomat had hindered a police special operation. On Wednesday, Kosovo’s police announced plans to demand lifting Krasnoshchekov’s immunity and launch a criminal investigation against him.

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