West says Kosovo UN resolution impossible

UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Reuters) European powers and the United States said today it had proved impossible to move ahead with a resolution on Kosovo's future in the UN Security Council, where Russia had threatened a veto.

''We regret ... that it has been impossible to secure such a resolution in the United Nations Security Council. We will therefore put on hold discussions on the resolution,'' French Ambassador Jean-Marc De La Sabliere said in a statement after the Council met today.

He said the West would now push ahead with negotiations through the Contact Group on Kosovo. The group is composed of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the United States and Russia but no country has veto rights.

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