China calls for dialogue to settle Kosovo issue

China urged all relevant parties to come to a settlement of the Kosovo issue through peaceful dialogue. Li Baodong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at an open UN Security Council meeting on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo ( UNMIK), according to China’s (Xinhua) News Agency. “Although the current situation in Kosovo is generally stable, it nevertheless continues to be vulnerable and fragile,” Li said. “We express our concern about the tense relations among the ethnic communities in Kosovo, and in northern Kosovo in particular.” “We hope that the parties concerned will take a cautious approach and settle their differences through dialogue, refraining from any action that may further complicate the situation or escalate tensions,” he said. Serbia categorically refuses to recognize Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, though most leading European countries and the United States have exchanged diplomats with Kosovo. Kosovo is currently supervised by NATO peacekeepers and the European Union. In Kosovo, ethnic Albanians make up 90 percent of the population. Li emphasized that China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia should be fully respected. On the question of Kosovo, he noted, a settlement plan that is acceptable to all should be reached within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and through dialogue and negotiation between the parties concerned. While welcoming the recent high-level talks between Belgrade and Pristina, China hopes that the parties concerned will increase their efforts and continue to push forward with the dialogue, said the envoy. “That is not only in the interest of the parties concerned and serves the well-being of the people, but is also in the interest of peace and stability in the Balkan region and all of Europe,” he said. Turning to the work of UNMIK, Li said that the mission has made unremitting efforts to promote regional peace and stability and enhance dialogue, to which China expresses its appreciation.