RE: [A-List] CoE resolution - Kosovo

["Jim Yarker" <sjy_estrien@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Georgia: Solana Fears Kosovo 'Precedent' For Abkhazia, South Ossetia
By Ahto Lobjakas

Javer Solana (file photo)
(AFP)
BRUSSELS, October 4, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- EU High Representative for Common 
Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana today acknowledged that Kosovo's 
campaign for independence could set a precedent for Georgia's breakaway 
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.


Solana also said the European Union could not meet a request made by 
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for peacekeepers, but that Brussels 
is actively trying to "build confidence" between Moscow and Tbilisi.

Solana told the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in Brussels 
today that during a recent phone conversation, Saakashvili had confessed to 
"tremendous worry" about the possible consequences that ongoing UN-sponsored 
Kosovo status talks could have for Georgia.

'We Are All Trapped'

The Serbian province is seeking independence for its 2 million citizens, 
over 90 percent of whom are ethnic Albanians. Belgrade is staunchly opposed, 
but international negotiations -- begun earlier this year -- seem destined 
to end in eventual independence.

Solana indicated that he, too, considers it possible that independence for 
Kosovo could have a negative effect on Georgia's territorial integrity, 
acknowledging it would set a "precedent."

"We are trapped here," he said. "President Saakashvili is trapped, all of us 
are trapped in a double mechanism that may have good consequences for one, 
but not for the other. It may not be a win-win situation -- although we 
should be able to look [for] and find a win-win solution. But it will not be 
easy."

The United States and the European Union both expect that Kosovo will 
achieve independence. Russia has warned that if Kosovo becomes independent, 
it will push for the secession of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Tensions between Russia and Georgia are running high. Moscow has blocked all 
transportation and postal links between the two countries in a continuing 
dispute over Tbilisi's arrest on September 27 of four Russian military 
officers on spying charges.

Solana also said today he himself is worried about "the manner in which 
Saakashvili is concerned about" the issue, but did not elaborate.

Solana said the EU will continue to stand up for Georgia's territorial 
integrity.

Searching For Way Forward

Solana said Saakashvili had also "complained" about the format of the 
negotiations it is currently involved in with South Ossetia -- where it is 
faced by Russia and its autonomous area of North Ossetia alongside South 
Ossetia.

According to Solana, Saakashvili would prefer the format used in Moldova for 
talks with Transdniester, where the European Union and the United States 
participate as observers, and Ukraine is also a participant.

But, Solana said, "for the moment it is difficult to do that," adding that 
the talks framework for Moldova "is not working very well either."

EU Peacekeepers Not An Option

Responding to a question by Estonian deputy Toomas Hendrik Ilves suggesting 
the EU send peacekeepers to Georgia, Solana also said Saakashvili had made 
that request during their conversation.

However, Solana said no. He said today it would be a "very difficult 
decision" for the EU, and that the EU could not respond positively "at the 
moment." France, Germany, Italy, and a number of other EU member states have 
long blocked moves to send EU monitors to Georgia's borders, in fear of 
angering Russia.

Solana noted that sending EU peacekeepers might not be "the best solution" 
for Georgia in any case. "I mean, for the moment, we have to see what is the 
best solution for the security of Georgia," he said. "[It] may not be 
peacekeepers, [it] may be something different. But I think to begin 
committing European peacekeepers there is something that I would not do at 
this moment. I said what I told you, I told him [Saakashvili]."

The EU foreign-policy chief did not specify what alternative solutions he 
might have in mind. He did say the EU would continue talking to both Moscow 
and Tbilisi about the crisis, in a bid to restore confidence.


Russia: Putin Calls For 'Universal Principles' To Settle Frozen Conflicts

President Vladimir Putin (file photo)
(CTK)
PRAGUE, 1 February 2006 (RFE/RL) -- President Putin said during his 31 
January press conference broadcast live on Russian state television that 
there is a need for "universal principles" to settle "frozen" conflicts such 
as the one in Kosova or those in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian news 
agencies reported.


"We need common principles to find a fair solution to these problems for the 
benefit of all people living in conflict-stricken territories.... If people 
believe that Kosovo can be granted full independence, why then should we 
deny it to Abkhazia and South Ossetia?" he said.

"I am not speaking about how Russia will act. However, we know that Turkey, 
for instance, has recognized the Republic of Northern Cyprus," Putin added. 
"I do not want to say that Russia will immediately recognize Abkhazia and 
South Ossetia as independent states, but such precedent does exist."

South Ossetia And Abkhazia React

Eduard Kokoity, president of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia, 
hailed Putin's call for the application of universal principles.

Kokoity said the same day that Putin's "new approach" signals a break with 
"double standards" that ignore the universally accepted right of peoples to 
self-determination and divide peoples into "good and bad," of whom the 
"good" are considered "more equal."

Also on 31 January, Boris Chochiev, first deputy prime minister of the 
unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia, told regnum.ru that Putin's 
statement is a "timely" signal "to those countries that continue to ignore 
the will of states that have exercised the right to self-determination."

Sergei Shamba, foreign minister of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia, 
told regnum.ru that Abkhazia has even weightier arguments to bolster its 
claims to independence than does Kosova.

Georgian Rejection

Speaking to journalists in Tbilisi on 31 January, Georgian Foreign Minister 
Gela Bezhuashvili claimed that "most" of the states engaged in mediating a 
settlement of the Kosova conflict do not agree with the Putin's argument.

Bezhuashvili said the Kosova settlement requires "a very delicate, very 
cautious approach" that cannot be applied universally to other conflicts.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli similarly argued that "the Kosova 
solution cannot be applied to Georgia" because solutions to the Abkhaz and 
South Ossetian conflicts must preserve Georgia's territorial integrity, 
Caucasus Press reported on 31 January.

Nagorno-Karabakh And Transdniester React

Vahram Atanesian, who heads the parliament commission on foreign relations 
of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, was cautious in his response 
to Putin's comments.

He told regnum.ru that while Karabakh hails Moscow's "active interest" in 
resolving the Karabakh conflict, it will hardly prove possible to find a 
universal principle applicable to all conflicts, given that "each conflict 
has its own ethno-political and religious history." He said the Karabakh 
conflict requires "a unique approach."

Yevgeny Shevchuk, chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Moldova's breakaway 
Transdniester Republic, told regnum.ru that the international community's 
proposed solution for Kosova "will serve as an algorithm" for solving the 
Transdniester conflict. He added that there are numerous analogies between 
the two. LF

Skepticism

Sergei Markov, director of the Institute of Political Studies that has close 
ties to the Kremlin, pointed out on 31 January that while Russia opposes 
independence for Kosova because Serbia is Russia's ally, it is prepared to 
agree to independence for Kosova provided that the precedent becomes 
universal and is then extended to the four deadlocked CIS conflicts, 
regnum.ru reported.

Markov predicted that the international community will try to impose 
independence on Kosova "from a position of force," and likewise from a 
position of force similarly will seek to prevent the unrecognized states 
from achieving independence.

He warned that failure to extend the Kosova precedent to post-Soviet 
conflicts would only destabilize the situation in the regions in question. 
Serbian observers have adduced the same argument when rejecting independent 
status for Kosova.

Institute of the Countries of the CIS Director Konstantin Zatulin similarly 
predicted on 31 January that while the international community, in 
particular the United States, has all but signed off on independence for 
Kosova, it will not agree to extending the same principle to post-Soviet 
conflicts, regnum.ru reported.






> From: "tony black" <tal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: The A-List <a-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "The A-List" <a-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [A-List] CoE resolution - Kosovo
> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:32:48 -0500
>
> OSCE and EU do not recognise referendum in South Ossetia
14 November 2006


The OSCE and the EU on 13 November have both issued statements saying they 
do not recognise and do not acknowledge the outcomes of the referendum or 
any of the electoral activity in the South Ossetia region on 12 November

"The 'referendum on independence' and 'presidential election' in the South 
Ossetian region does not help to bring a peaceful solution of the conflict 
closer," the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de 
Gucht, said.

"The so-called elections increase tensions and divisions at a time when the 
sides to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict should be devoting all efforts to 
stabilising the situation and moving forward the negotiating process."

Minister de Gucht said the international community considered South Ossetia 
an integral part of Georgia and supported all efforts by the two sides to 
achieve a peaceful settlement of their conflict through negotiations.

The European Union in a declarations stated the "referendum" contradicts 
Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally 
recognised borders. The EU said that the situation in South Ossetia did not 
allow the free expression of the popular will and reiterated that it does 
not recognise the "referendum" or its outcome. The same applies to the 
"presidential elections" in South Ossetia, Georgia.


Source: Press releases of OSCE and Council of the European Union





> ----- Original Message ----- From: ANTIC.org-SNN
> To: 'Balkan News' ; news@xxxxxxxxx ; news@xxxxxxxx ; 'SerbianNewsNetwork' ; 
> sorabia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; stopnato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; 'YUGO'
> Cc: globalobserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; targets-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 4:50 PM
> Subject: [stopnato] CoE resolution
>
>
>
> Council of Europe adopts Resolution on Kosovo, removes any reference to 
> independence (Dailies)
> The Council of Europe fears independence of Kosovo, says Koha Ditore 
> front-page headline. The Council of Europe does not support conditional 
> independence for Kosovo, says the paper. During the voting on the report on 
> Kosovo, with 90 votes in favour, 64 against and 11 abstentions, the 
> Parliamentary Assembly adopted an amendment, asking for removal of the 
> paragraph 4 from the Resolution, which expressed support for a conditional 
> independence as the best solution.
>
> A resolution on Kosovo without the word 'independence' adopted in 
> Strasbourg, reports Zëri. The members of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly 
> debated about the report and the resolution of the British Lord Johnston.
>
> In his address to the Assembly UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari said: 
> "Following the parliamentary elections in Serbia, I am now preparing to 
> present my proposal to the parties on 2 February. My proposal is based on 
> the result of the talks by the parties, and in areas where there was no 
> agreement I proposed a solution, which I consider fair and balanced. My 
> proposal only focuses on the rights of minorities."
>
> A slap for independence, writes Express on the front page. If Kosovo's 
> independence depended on the votes of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, then 
> it would almost be a 'mission impossible'. Representatives of 46 European 
> countries hesitated to vote in favour of a Resolution that suggests 
> independence for Kosovo, says the paper.
>
> No independence, writes Epoka e Re. The new Resolution, from which 
> reference to independence has been removed, foresees support to both Kosovo 
> and Serbian authorities on aspects with which the Council of Europe is 
> involved like; good governance, rule of law, respect of human rights and 
> the rights of minorities.
>
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