Debate: Views on Kosovo differ, support for flooded Serbia

NEW YORK – Speaking at a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting late on Tuesday, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic expressed his gratitude to all countries and peoples that have helped Serbia and the Balkans overcome the tragedy and destruction brought about by the recent catastrophic flooding in the region.

During the UNSC debate on the UN secretary-general's latest report on developments in Kosovo, all permanent representatives of the 15 member states of the body expressed their condolences and support to Serbia.

Nikolic did not want to comment on opposing views on the situation in Kosovo presented during the debate but advised everyone to try and think about the problem as if it were happening in their own country, although, he said, he would never wish anything like that ever happen to them.

The permanent representative of the Russian Federation said that the Russian Federation's position on Kosovo remained unchanged, in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and Resolution 1244 was fully relevant and an obligation for all as the international legal framework for the resolution of the Kosovo situation.

He said that practically no progress had been made in the return of Serbian refugees, as people were afraid to return to Kosovo due to ethnically motivated attacks and the looting and usurping of Serb property, including monuments and cemeteries.

He agreed on the need to establish a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo in order to protect their interests and contribute to overall stability, adding that conditions had to be created for safe return of people to their homes.

He welcomed the decisions to extend the EULEX mission and set up a special court to deal with the...