Russia 'won't bargain on Kosovo'

03/09/2007| IslamWeb

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that Moscow will not give in to pressure over "red line" issues such as missile defence and Kosovo.

Lavrov said Russia could not remain passive in the face of any threat to its national security.

"Such issues include for example the US plans to set up bases in Eastern Europe for a global missile defence system, and a settlement for Kosovo", he said.

Russia opposes a UN blueprint to give Serbia's Kosovo province independence.

Russia does not engage in bargaining, and its international partners should realise this, Mr Lavrov said in a speech at Moscow's prestigious Institute of Foreign Relations (MGIMO) on Monday.

Russia says the planned US missile defence shield is a threat to its own security.

The US argues that it needs to install anti-missile systems in the Czech Republic and Poland to counter possible threats from "rogue" states, such as Iran and North Korea.

PHOTO CAPTION

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart Nana Akufo Addo in Moscow July 12, 2007. (Reuters)

BBC