New Kosova Report

UN Security Council to meet on Kosovo independence plan

Wednesday, 13 February 2008

The U.N. Security Council

NEW YORK (AFP)--The U.N. Security Council is to meet Thursday at the request of Serbia and Russia to discuss plans by Kosovo's separatist leaders to declare independence from Serbia, diplomats said Wednesday.

But the diplomats said the meeting was unlikely change positions on either side of the issue.

"There will be a meeting (Thursday)," Libya's UN Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi told reporters but added: "I cannot see any resolution or any outcome out of this meeting."

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that he was not "overly optimistic" about the outcome of the council meeting called to discuss the "dangers" of Kosovo's planned unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia.

Nevertheless, "it wouldn't be correct not to use the Security Council machinery. We must all demonstrate maximum responsibility," he said.

Leaders of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority are expected to proclaim independence from Serbia on Sunday or Monday, the day of a crucial EU foreign ministers meeting that will discuss the issue.

"The events in New York will not be central," said a Western diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity. "The main issue if as we expect Kosovo declares itself to be an independent state is who recognizes it."

"This is not a matter for the United Nations. It's a matter for individual countries," he added.

The diplomat stressed that he did not expect "any substantial changes in anybody's position" in the upcoming council discussions.

The U.S. and numerous EU member countries - including Britain, France, Germany and Italy - have already expressed their intention to quickly recognize Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since mid-1999, after a NATO air assault drove out Serbian forces waging a brutal crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian guerillas and their civilian supporters.