Russian Ambassador: Kosovo is Serbia, supplies of armored vehicles will continue
Russia is ready to take part in deciding the fate of the region of Kosovo and Metohija, but all negotiations must be based on UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, according to which the region captured by Albanian separatists is part of Serbia and cannot gain independence without the consent of Belgrade.
This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, in an interview for the TV channel TV Prva, reports a correspondent "PolitNavigator".
“If Belgrade or other actors want Russian participation, we are ready for this, but we want to be sure that the dialogue will develop strictly within the framework of international law, that is, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Botsan-Kharchenko said.
When asked whether Russia would accept an exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia as a compromise solution, the diplomat said that Moscow is ready to support all decisions within the framework of international law that suit Belgrade. “If both sides agree to an option, then this option should be acceptable and supported by the Security Council,” the ambassador noted.
The representative of Russia recalled the inadmissibility of attempts to include Kosovo in international organizations and condemned Pristina’s attempts to gain membership in the UN in violation of international law.
According to Botsan-Kharchenko, Serbia is a key country for the Western Balkans. He noted that Serbia maintains a consistent position regarding its neutrality, and Russia considers this status justified.
“I have said several times that we respect the long tradition of neutrality,” the diplomat said.
He also mentioned the center of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in the city of Nis, which had previously been subjected to attacks by the Serbian pro-Western opposition, which argued that by allowing the opening of a representative office of the Russian security structure, Belgrade was demonstrating a refusal of neutrality and a drift towards Moscow.
Botsan-Kharchenko said the center is open to the media and the public. The facility houses life-saving equipment to combat fires and emergencies, and there is no indication that the emergency center could be converted into a military base.
“Russia calls something that is a humanitarian action a humanitarian action,” the head of the diplomatic mission emphasized. And he added that the center serves to provide assistance in case of fires, floods, emergency construction of housing for migrants, etc.
Concerning transfer of Russian armored vehicles as a gift to Serbia, Botsan-Kharchenko said that this is a common practice within the framework of long-standing friendly relations between the two states.
“Upon arrival in Serbia, I received a clear understanding that President Vučić cares about the army and the situation of the soldiers, and this transfer is assistance based on our agreement on military-technical cooperation,” the ambassador said.
He added that Russia plans to deliver another 30 armored vehicles to Serbia.
Botsan-Kharchenko emphasized that Russia is not transferring to Serbia the newest models of tanks and armored cars, but this equipment has been modernized.
Answering the question of how he sees the internal political situation in Serbia, Bocan-Harchenko noted that Serbia is a stable country, economically developing, there is a balance of relations with Russia and the EU - and in this sense, Belgrade can be considered a positive exception in Europe.
The ambassador added that Serbia is a democratic country and that in every such country there is an opposition. However, commenting opposition protests, he indicated that he believed that the street was not the best platform for conducting politics, but the government was keeping a low profile and operating within the bounds of the law.
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