Putin Reiterates ‘Universal Principles’ Should Apply to Conflicts
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s position on January 31 that a “universal principle” should be applied while dealing with the resolution of ‘frozen conflicts.’
Speaking at an annual press conference at the Kremlin Putin said that there is a UN Security Council resolution which confirms that Kosovo is part of Serbia.
“If someone thinks that Kosovo can be granted full independence, than why should we refuse this to the Abkhazians or South Ossetians? I am not now talking about how Russia will act. But we know, for example, that Turkey has recognized the Republic of North of Cyprus. I do not want to say that Russia will immediately recognize Abkhazia or South Ossetia as independent and sovereign states, but precedents of this kind already exist in international practice. I am not now assessing these [precedents], but in order to act justly while considering the interests of those people living in this or that territory, we need commonly recognized, universal principles to solve these problems. This is exactly what I meant while speaking at the meeting with the government yesterday,” Vladimir Putin said.
On January 30 President Putin instructed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to exert a policy of “universality” during talks over Kosovo’s future status, which, as Putin said, can serve as a model for other conflicts.
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