Russia's Positive Mediation Experience Could Facilitate Serbia-Kosovo Talks - Lawmaker

(@FahadShabbir)

Russia's Positive Mediation Experience Could Facilitate Serbia-Kosovo Talks - Lawmaker

Russia has gained a reputation over recent years for providing the only successful negotiation platforms for various pressing issues, therefore making the country uniquely qualified to mediate the dispute between Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Natalya Poklonskaya, the deputy head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian lower house, told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) Russia has gained a reputation over recent years for providing the only successful negotiation platforms for various pressing issues, therefore making the country uniquely qualified to mediate the dispute between Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Natalya Poklonskaya, the deputy head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian lower house, told Sputnik.

"Given what has happened in recent years, Russia has proven itself as the only platform for successful negotiations. Through the mediation of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, global players with completely different positions came to agreements on the most hopeless issues. Of course, I do not work for the Foreign Ministry, but it seems to me that when all parties [of the Serbia-Kosovo row] have the desire to resolve this issue in peace and harmony, I think Russia, as always, will gladly help them," Poklonskaya said.

Earlier in November, Russian lawmaker Elenina Panina said that Russia's participation in Kosovo-Serbia talks could move the process from its current deadlock.

Currently, Russia is actively engaged in mediation efforts, particularly in the middle East. Moscow has promoted intra-Syrian dialogue in the Astana format and managed to broker a ceasefire for Turkey in northern Syria, where Ankara was carrying out its anti-Kurdish operation. Moscow is also contributing to Israeli-Palestinian settlement and intra-Afghan dialogue, though no significant progress has been reached on either of those fronts.

Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, after years of conflict with Belgrade. The self-proclaimed republic is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Serbia, as well as Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Spain, Greece and a number of other countries, have not recognized Kosovar independence.

The EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Kosovo, launched in 2013, is currently stalled. Serbs in Kosovo, who predominantly live in the north, meanwhile continue to face hardships, such as the consistent destruction of their cultural and religious heritage as well as 100 percent duties on imported Serbian goods.