Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1kosovo030308.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 3 -- In Northern Kosovo, Serbia's state-owed railroad company has claimed control of the tracks and trains. At the UN in New York, Inner City Press asked the UN spokesperson for a response, if the UN Mission in Kosovo could confirm it. "We can ask for you," Spokesperson Michele Montas said. "I don't have that information at this point." Hours later a response arrived by e-mail, that "any movement of trains south of Leshak by Serbian Railways is a clear breach of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between UNMIK Railways and Serbian Railways. This violation will not be tolerated. Border police, with the support of KFOR, will act to prevent these trains traveling south of Leshak." Click here for the e-mail.
While it seems to many that the UN is remaining strikingly quiet about troubles in Northern Kosovo, including a reported shooting at UNMIK's headquarters there on Monday -- the spokesperson later said that "the Kosovo Police Service is investigating the incident" -- the railroad response seemed surprising sharp. Inner City Press asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the Security Council president for March, about Serbia's claim over the railroad. Amb. Churkin indicated that he had not heard about it. Inner City Press provided a copy of an article, and the above-quoted response from the UN Spokesperson's Office. We'll see.
It has been pointed out that most successful resolutions of disputes like Kosovo leave both parties unhappy. In this case, the glee of one side may be a less than positive auger.
A Permanent Five diplomat said the Secretariat's railways statement given was not balanced, and that the politics originate "from upstairs." It has been increasingly widely rumored that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has spoken to Ban Ki-moon about Russian (non) support for a second term. On February 25, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson, "Has the Secretary-General received a phone call from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov concerning Kosovo and, if so, what was said?" The spokesperson replied, "I will try to find out. I don't think that was one of his phone calls this weekend, no, I don't think so, but I'll check."
Inner City Press clarified, "about the Lavrov call, I just want to make clear that I meant not this weekend but since the declaration [of independence] was made." The UN later stated that "the Secretary-General has not spoken recently to the Russian Foreign Minister." Still, diplomats talk about the call and non-support, and Monday the P-5 diplomat told Inner City Press that with Russia, the threat is credible. While four years is a long time, why now the strident position about the rails? Watch this site.
