UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Serbia's foreign minister said Monday that the upcoming ruling by the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence will create "an unprecedented opportunity" for compromise between rival Serbs and ethnic Albanians.
But Vuk Jeremic told the U.N. Security Council that the Serbian government will never accept the independence of its province — and Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said his government will never accept a return to Serb rule.
Their entrenched positions are likely to perpetuate the standoff over Kosovo’s future status.
Kosovo came under U.N. and NATO administration after a 1999 NATO-led air war halted former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo, but the Security Council resolution that established the interim U.N. administration left Kosovo’s final status in question.
Kosovo’s predominantly ethnic Albanian leadership declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, with strong backing from the United States and major European Union nations.
The Serbian government, strongly supported by Russia, insists that Kosovo is still legally bound by the Security Council resolution.
And the U.N. — at Russian insistence — still retains overall authority in Kosovo, though many day-to-day administrative responsibilities have been transferred to a 2,000-strong European Union peacekeeping force which is responsible for six main areas including police, courts and borders.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the 1999 resolution authorizing the U.N. to administer Kosovo "remains fully in force."
"It still remains binding for all as an international and legal basis for a settlement in Kosovo and ensuring security in the districts," he said. "Not accepting that means not accepting international legality."
In October 2008, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution sought by Serbia to ask the Dutch-based International Court of Justice to provide a formal opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s independence declaration.
Jeremic said the court "is close to completing its deliberations" and Hyseni said a ruling "is expected shortly."
The Serbian foreign minister said the court’s report to the U.N. General Assembly will create "an unprecedented opportunity … to build momentum for achieving the ultimate goal: a strategic compromise between Serbs and Albanians" that would secure a peaceful European future for the western Balkans.
"Waiting around for an indeterminate period in the vague hope that one side will eventually give in is a recipe for freezing Kosovo’s limbo," Jeremic said. "The only way forward is to bring about a just compromise that balances the desires and interests of our two peoples."
But Hyseni ruled out any compromise on Kosovo’s status.
He called on Serbia to normalize relations with Kosovo, saying "my government stands ready to engage in talks with Serbia on a long list of issues of mutual interest as two independent and sovereign states."
"There can be no talk whatsoever of new negotiations on the status of Kosovo. That’s over for good," Hyseni said. "There can be no talk on the partition of Kosovo. That cannot happen and will never happen. But there can always be talks and discussions between neighboring countries."
U.S. deputy ambassador Brooke Anderson echoed Hyseni saying: "Kosovo’s independence is irreversible."
"Partition is not acceptable," she said. "Kosovo’s status and borders are settled."
