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Russia says UN may hold Kosovo status talks

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The United Nations may convene a special meeting to discuss Kosovo's independence, Russia's envoy to the UN said on Thursday.
NEW YORK, March 6 (RIA Novosti) - The United Nations may convene a special meeting to discuss Kosovo's independence, Russia's envoy to the UN said on Thursday.

Viltaly Churkin said Russia, which took over the UN Security Council presidency in March, was "attentively following the situation in Kosovo," and that he did not exclude that the Security Council would convene a session on the issue.

Churkin was speaking after a meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic in New York.

The Russian diplomat did not specify any possible dates for the Security Council meeting. A source in the Serb delegation said however that the issue of a UN Security Council session could be resolved next week.

A previous Security Council session, held shortly after Kosovo declared independence on February 17, ended without agreement on a resolution or a joint statement regarding the "world's newest state."

Churkin also called the planned EU police and justice mission to Kosovo "counterproductive" and insisted that the international peacekeeping force in Kosovo operates strictly under the UN mandate, and that it shows "impartiality" and "objectivity."

Prior to the declaration of independence by Kosovo, the European Union approved sending a 2,000-strong civilian mission to Kosovo to replace the UN mission, which has been deployed there since the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 ended a conflict between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. Kosovo has been a UN protectorate since the end of this conflict.

Belgrade has recalled its ambassadors from a number of countries recognizing Kosovo's independence. Russia has pledged to block any move by Kosovo to join the United Nations.

So far over 25 states, including the United States, Australia, Japan and major European countries, have formally recognized the Republic of Kosovo.

Serbia's foreign minister was expected to meet on Thursday with representatives of the UN Security Council member-states, as well as with the foreign ministers of some of the countries which have refused to recognize Kosovo, including China and Spain.

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