Russia seeks Kosovo talks under cooperation deal

Date: 01/04/1999

By Simon Taylor

RUSSIA is seeking to use its five-year trade and political accord with the EU to persuade the Union to withdraw its support for the NATO air-strikes against Serbia.

Moscow's ambassador to the EU Vasily Likhachev told European Voice this week that he had asked Acting Foreign Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek for talks under the terms of Russia's 1994 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Union. "Under the circumstances, all the provisions for political dialogue of the PCA should be activated," he insisted.

But EU diplomats fear the move is aimed at exploiting growing differences between Union member states over the wisdom of continuing the NATO air-strikes on Serbia. Italy and Greece have already departed from the official alliance line, saying that the bombing should be halted temporarily and new diplomatic efforts made to negotiate a solution with the Yugoslavian government.

Likhachev points out that under the terms of the PCA, both parties agreed to "consult promptly" at the request of either side on any relevant aspects of the relations between the two. But EU diplomats stress that there are regular meetings between Union and Russian officials at which the Kosovo situation could be discussed.

Likhachev said the EU was faced with a choice of supporting NATO and the implicit "violation of international law" or taking independent steps which would comply with international rules.

The ambassador insisted that diplomatic solutions to the problems of Kosovo had not been exhausted and suggested that Yugoslavia was still prepared to negotiate over the status of the province. "The potential for a political settlement was not used in full. If one wanted to limit Milosevic's political influence that much, one should have been more patient," he said.

The ambassador also claimed that the other five Contact Group countries had concealed plans to attack Serbia from Moscow. "In the Contact Group, the relations towards Russia should have been more frank and sincere. But behind Russia's back they were working out war measures," he argued.

Likhachev insisted that the only way to move to a solution was to halt the NATO air-strikes immediately and to negotiate, respecting the interests and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia and the human rights of all ethnic groups.

Officials ruled out suggestions that the row over the NATO air-strikes would pose a threat to other areas of the PCA, which deals with economic cooperation.

" Russia's priorities are economic and financial and they should not be too badly affected. Russia will put its real interests before Serbia," said one official.

He confirmed that the EU's Russian food aid programme was going smoothly, adding that the first shipment had already arrived in Smolensk.