U.S. says difference over Kosovo's independence is "not insurmountable"

The United States believes that Russians' opposition to limited independence of Kosovo is "not insurmountable," local press quoted a U.S. official as saying on Thursday.

"I think that's indicative of the fact that we do think that differences or concerns that the Russians have can be bridged," said the official, who asked not be identified.

U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who attended the meeting of the Kosovo Contact Group in London, reported back that the plan drawn up by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari would soon go to the UN Security Council in the form of a resolution, the official said.

"The Russians continue to have concerns about this, but I do think (Burns) believes and others believe that those concerns are not insurmountable and that we can in fact work and move forward," the official said.

Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since mid-1999, when NATO airstrikes halted a Serbian crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians and forced Belgrade to relinquish control.

The UN Security Council is to debate in the coming weeks an independence proposal for the southern Serbian province, unveiled by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari late March.

The United States "fully supports" Ahtisaari's plan, Burns, the No. 3 official at the U.S. State Department, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in mid-April, saying "we believe that supervised independence for Kosovo is now the only way forward."

Russia opposes the Ahtisaari plan, saying it would set a dangerous precedent for separatists elsewhere by dismembering a sovereign UN. member against its government's will.

Source: Xinhua