UN resolution on Kosovo called off

United Nations, July 21: The United States and Europeans discarded today their UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo's future status because of Russian opposition.

Moscow fears the complicated European-American sponsored draft resolution would lead to independence for the breakaway province from Serbia. Belgrade opposes this.

Instead, the Western nations would try to initiate negotiations between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo through the Contact Group of advisors on the Balkans, composed of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the United States and Russia. But no country has veto rights.

''We regret that it has been impossible to secure such a resolution in the United Nations Security Council,'' said France's UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere on behalf of the resolution's sponsors, the United States, Britain, Belgium, Italy and Germany.

''We will therefore put on hold discussions on the resolution,'' he said after council consultations.

Britain's UN Ambassador, asked why the Western nations did not call a Security Council vote and force Russia to use its veto power, said, ''We don't want high drama which might have a consequence in the region. We have got to be responsible.

Kosovo, where 90 percent of the 2 million people are ethnic Albanians, has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombs forced out Serbian troops that were killing and expelling Albanians in a two-year war with guerrillas.

Under the draft resolution, the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia would resume negotiations for 120 days. After the talks, the United Nations would hand over the administration of the province to the European Union, removing the issue from Russia's influence. NATO troops would stay on.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the Contact Group talks would also take 120 days.

But no one said what would happen after that. UN-conducted egotiations between the two sides have not resulted in a deal.

Another way ahead was for Pristina to declare independence, ask the United Nations to leave and invite the Europeans into the province. But a unilateral declaration could lose European political and financial support, which is key in the Balkans.

In Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku called on parliament today to declare unilateral independence from Serbia on Nov. 28 because of the stalemate between the West and Russia at the United Nations.

Reuters>