US opposes replacing Ahtisaari as Kosovo mediator

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The United States on Monday came out against Russia's demand that the United Nations should appoint a new envoy to mediate in the Kosovo crisis in place of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
      According to US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, Ahtisaari is doing a good job dealing with very difficult issues.
      Ahtisaari's representative Remi Dourlot said that the Kosovo talks, held in Vienna, are now over, and that this would not change. The matter has been turned over to the UN Security Council.
      On Monday, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin walked out of a session of the Security Council, where Ahtisaari's Kosovo report was being debated.
      Churkin said that the Kosovo talks had been handled poorly.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Russia wants new UN mediator to replace Martti Ahtisaari (19.3.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat