BELGRADE, June 28. /TASS/. The West’s "Kosovo" project has failed despite the resources put in it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with the Kurir newspaper on Monday.

"As for the current situation in Kosovo, it is a ‘black hole’ of Europe, where organized crime and corruption are prospering, where terrorist and extremist recruitment cells are located, where the atmosphere of national and religious hatred and intolerance is fostered, and the ideology of justifying the mass ethnic cleansing of the non-Albanian population is imposed. Meanwhile, the new Kosovo ‘government’ led by Mr. [Prime Minister] Albin Kurti is preaching blatant political extremism. This is the result of NATO aggression and Western policy. The West’s "Kosovo" project has failed, despite the enormous sums of money poured in it and the media-political support. It is a complete failure," Zakharova said.

"I remember how 10 years ago CNN broadcasted an ad saying that ‘Kosovo is a land of opportunity.’ And now Kosovo is not a state, and there are no opportunities there. On the contrary, in this period, Kosovo has turned into a problem of the European continent," the spokeswoman stressed.

In 2008, the Serbian autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija declared their independence unilaterally, and in recent years, it has actively been trying to join international organizations such as UNESCO. Over 60 states are against recognizing Kosovo’s independence, including Russia, India and China, as well as five EU member states.