Ahtisaari urges Russia to recognise Kosovo

Author of independence plan criticises international community

Martti Ahtisaari

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Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who drew up the independence plan for Kosovo, says that Russia should finally "come to its senses" and accept the independence of Kosovo province from Serbia.
      "I believe that common sense will prevail. Kosovo’s position is now a clear matter, and nothing can change that", Ahtisaari said in a speech at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs in Helsinki on Friday.
      "It is not even in Russia’s interests to oppose independence. The Russians have already made their views known, as have the Serbs. Now it is time to turn a new page", Ahtisaari said.
     
Russia has said that it might even use force to defend the Serbs so that they could hold on to Kosovo.
      Ahtisaari rejects Russia’s concerns that independence for Kosovo could encourage other ethnic regions to seek independence.
      The war in Kosovo ended in 1999, but international negotiations on the status of the province continued for years after that.
     
Ahtisaari put forward a proposal for the independence of Kosovo last year, but it was vetoed by Russia in the United Nations Security Council.
      Ahtisaari said that in 1999 the international community should have given the UN Secretary General five years to draw up a plan on the independence of Kosovo.
      "Naturally this would have been too much to expect of the international community. If the people knew how incompetently the international community acts, they would lose sleep. Thank God they don’t know it", Ahtisaari said on Friday.
      Ahtisaari felt that the inability of the UN Security Council to take action was very unfortunate, and expressed concern that future disputes might not be brought before the body for discussion. In Ahtisaari’s view, this could further erode the significance of the Security Council.
     
Ahtisaari severely criticised Serbia for its obstructionism during the negotiations on Kosovo’s future, and for its recent nationalistic posturing.
      He called the rioting that broke out in the Serbian capital Belgrade after Kosovo's declaration of independence "more of a disappointment than a surprise". He also said that such action, which enjoys the encouragement of the leaders of the nation, should be unequivocally denounced.
      Ahtisaari also said that he hopes that Serbia would not push itself back into the international isolation of the time of President Slobodan Milosevic.
      "The Serbs would do well to remember that the EU is not seeking to join Serbia - Serbia is seeking to join the EU."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ahtisaari to head new EU foreign affairs group (3.10.2007)
  Ahtisaari expects Russian veto of Kosovo plan (20.6.2007)
  Ahtisaari proposes independence for Kosovo (27.3.2007)
  Finland recognises Kosovo independence (7.3.2008)
  NEWS ANALYSIS: Kosovo and Russian elections overshadow Finnish chairmanship of OSCE (29.12.2007)
  Serb newspapers launch onslaught against Martti Ahtisaari (9.2.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat