UNSC: Russia and US present opposing views on Kosovo

Nevertheless, they presented opposing views on the situation in Kosovo ten years after the unilateral declaration of independence.

At the meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, where a regular quarterly report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was presented, the diplomats agreed in condemning the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, but also about the significance of the implementation of the Belgrade-Pristina agreements reached so far, for the sake of peace and stability in the region.

Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that ten years after the unilateral declaration of independence, "sponsors of this project" should consider the consequences of the move, assessing that "Kosovo does not have a clear perspective today" and that Kosovo's membership requests in several international institutions have been rejected.

"There are major problems in the province and the international community must monitor them closely," Nebenzya said, warning about corruption and organized crime, a "catastrophic" economic situation, and a low level of security.

He said the expectation that the number of states that recognize Kosovo would grow was without foundation, and that some countries have even withdrawn their recognition.

The representative of Russia recalled that Pristina does not respect the agreement on the creation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), stressing that EU officials are "tolerant of this stagnation," that there are no clear indications yet when the Special Court for KLA crimes would begin to work, while at the same time Belgrade is showing readiness to continue dialogue and to compromise.

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