US, allies formally introduce new Security Council resolution on Kosovo

The United States and its EU allies formally introduced a draft resolution on Kosovo late Tuesday (July 17th) despite Russia’s opposition to the text. It calls for 120 days of new talks between Belgrade and Pristina, after which the UN Security Council would review the situation. Unlike previous drafts, it does not state that former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s status plan for Kosovo would automatically go into effect should the talks fail.Prospects for the resolution appear dim, given Moscow’s stance, and key European leaders are saying the EU may look for options outside the Security Council. EU security chief Javier Solana told reporters that the Contact Group might mediate talks between Serbs and ethnic Albanians, with the EU playing a significant role.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said her government is looking for avenues other than the Security Council. “We are now thinking about whether it would be possible to support a phase of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina to try once again to find a solution,” she said after meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Berlin on Tuesday.