West surrenders to Kosovo blackmail-Russia formin

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) Western states are letting Kosovo use the threat of chaos to blackmail them into giving the Serbian province independence, Russia's foreign minister wrote in an article published today.

Sergei Lavrov also accused the West of pursuing a mistaken policy of containing Russia, and said Russia wants to be viewed as an equal trading partner.

''In the case of Kosovo, our partners are inclined to give in to blackmail with (the threat of) violence and anarchy,'' Lavrov wrote in an article posted on the ministry's Internet site www.mid.ru.

Western diplomats have warned of growing tension in the Serbian province, where ethnic Albanians are a majority, if it is not granted independence. Moscow has backed its ally Serbia by opposing independence for Kosovo.

Russia used its United Nations veto to block a Western-backed plan to give Kosovo independence. A new round of talks has begun to find a compromise, but Kosovo has said it may declare independence this year regardless of the outcome.

Lavrov said NATO's expansion into eastern Europe, Washington's missile shield plan, and a European Union increasingly mistrustful of Moscow were ''recreating a cordon sanitaire West of Russia's borders.'' ''What can be the object of containing Russia now? A Russia, I would note, which has turned its back on ideology, imperial and other 'great ideas' in favour of pragmatism and common sense?'' Lavrov wrote.

''Russia wants little, including simply to trade, something our partners have been doing for centuries.'' Lavrov said the Western policy-makers should abandon their practice of treating Russia as both a partner and opponent.

''If someone intends to 'punish Russia for its bad behaviour', then what basis is there for our partners to expect cooperation from us? You have to choose between containment and cooperation.'' Lavrov said despite differences between Moscow and Washington, the strong personal ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George W. Bush were a ''stabilising factor'' and an example of good teamwork.

The foreign ministry said Lavrov's essay was originally intended for publication in the US journal Foreign Affairs.

Lavrov pulled the article in July, saying editors at the magazine had made substantial editing changes that distorted the meaning of the essay. The magazine said it had made only minor changes for clarity.

The article will now be published in the Moscow-based, Russian language academic journal Russia in Global Affairs.

REUTERS RSA BST2259