Decision to grant Kosovo independence will set precedent - Karasin

MOSCOW. April 18 (Interfax) - The international community's
possible decision to grant independence to the Kosovo Province will set
a precedent, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said in an
interview with the Novye Izvestia newspaper published on Tuesday.
"Naturally, a decision to be taken by the international community
regarding Kosovo will have a universal nature and will set an
international precedent for other self-proclaimed states," he said.
"We will not be able to stop some [of such entities] from acting as
other [entities] are allowed to act. It would be illogically," Karasin
said.
Russia disagrees with those who say that there is no alternative to
granting Kosovo independence, but that this solution cannot be used to
sort out other similar situations, he said.
"Our opinion is that Kosovo will become another example of self-
determined nations together with Eritrea and East Timor, if this
settlement scenario is followed," the deputy foreign minister said.
Four breakaway provinces on former Soviet territory - Abkhazia and
South Ossetia in Georgia, Transdniestria in Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh
in Azerbaijan - seek international recognition of their independence.
The authorities in Tbilisi, Chisinau and Baku want to restore control
over them.

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