Russia says Europe risks "Pandora's box" in Kosovo
10 Feb 2008 17:40:21 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds fresh quotes, background) By Kerstin Gehmlich MUNICH, Germany, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Europe risks opening a "Pandora's box" if it recognises Kosovo's independence despite Serbian objections, a top Russian official said on Sunday. First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov also said Russia would not respond tit-for-tat to a likely Western recognition of Kosovo's independence by immediately recognising independence bids by two Georgian breakaway provinces it supports. "We think if it comes to a unilateral recognition of Kosovo, that would be a precedent," Ivanov said at an international security conference in the southern German city of Munich. "That would definitely be beyond international law, and it would be something close to opening a Pandora's box," Ivanov added, referring to a term from Greek mythology describing ill-though actions which lead to unpredictable problems. Moscow has supported Belgrade in opposing Kosovo's secession from Serbia and used its veto right in the U.N. Security Council to block a resolution that would have granted the territory supervised independence. Russia had also denounced an EU plan to send an 1,800-strong police and justice mission to replace a U.N. administration in Kosovo and supervise its independence. Moscow says that would require a new resolution in the U.N. Security Council. Moscow says its main fear is that granting independence to Kosovo and bypassing the United Nations could encourage many separatist regions in Europe and beyond to follow suit. Russia itself maintains a peacekeeping force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian regions which broke away in early 1990s and are now under Moscow's political and economic control -- a highly contentious issue between the two ex-Soviet states. Russia rejects accusations from pro-Western Georgia that it is planning to annex the two regions. Moscow has so far resisted calls by separatist leaders to recognise their independence. Analysts have said that the Western recognition of Kosovo's independence was likely to become a test for Russia's resistance level. Ivanov said Moscow would not rush and take advantage of the precedent. "There is a misconception that is spread among NATO and EU countries that Kosovo's independence will be followed by Russia's support for the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," he told a news conference in Munich. "Russia is not going to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia the day after Kosovo's independence has been declared." (Additional reporting by Oleg Shchedrov in Moscow; Editing by Caroline Drees)
Serb men gather outside a container donated by Russia that serves as a polling station in an isolated village of Bijelo Polje in Kosovo February 3, 2008. Serbia voted on Sunday ...
