Russia's Lavrov warns of consequences if Kosovo declares independence

Dec 10 2007, 13:12
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians would violate international law and trigger a chain reaction across the region.
Any country recognizing such a declaration of independence would be "violating international law. We will not support the violation of international law," Lavrov said during a visit to Cyprus, in comments translated from Russian into Greek.
"I would like to stress that in the event that Kosovo unilaterally declares independence and that independence is recognized, this will not be without consequences," Lavrov said after talks with Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos.
"This will trigger a chain reaction in the Balkans and in other areas of the world. And those formulating such plans, must be thinking very carefully about these consequences."
A "troika" of envoys from the EU, US and Russia reported back to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday that four months of internationally mediated talks had ended in a stalemate.
Despite a stalemate, Kosovo officials have said that the province's ethnic Albanian leaders will not declare independence without EU and US blessing. But a spokesman for Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership said Monday that Kosovo would gain independence before May.
Kosovo, formally a province of Serbia, has been run by a UN administration since a NATO air war in 1999 to halt a crackdown by Belgrade on separatist ethnic Albanian rebels.
Russia - which has a veto in the UN Security Council - sides with Serbia in opposing an independent Kosovo. It blocked a plan by the EU and US for a supervised move toward statehood for the province of 2 million people where more than 90 percent of the population is ethnic Albanian.
Mediators are to debrief UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday in New York on the failed talks; the UN Security Council then must determine the way ahead.