Final status of Kosovo will not be settled soon

Saturday, June 25, 2022

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The issue of the final status of Kosovo will not be settled soon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following the talks with his Macedonian counterpart Ilinka Mitreva in Skopje. According to the Russian minister, the Kosovo problem can be solved only on a firm legal basis, such as resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council. It contains all demands, which should be fulfilled. They imply security guarantees in the region and the return of refugees and displaced persons (representatives of the non-Albanian minority) so that their life in Kosovo was safe, Sergei Lavrov noted. "Such conditions have not been provided so far, in spite of all the UN decisions. The international community recently boosted its activities in this region but they have not yielded the desirable result yet," Mr. Lavrov said. In his opinion, it is necessary to eliminate all negative consequences of the March slaughter of non-Albanians in Kosovo and to create real conditions for the return of national minorities. The decentralization of the local self-government bodies is highly important, as well, the Russian Foreign Minister added. Moreover, it is necessary to promote overall dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (capital of Kosovo and Metohija) to implement resolution 1244, he said. "Kosovo should comply with its standards before the international community, including Belgrade, starts tacking its final status. Any impartial assessments prove that it will not happen soon," Sergei Lavrov concluded.

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