(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-18 09:47

UNITED NATIONS - Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Sunday that there is no legal basis for any country to recognize the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.

There is "no legal basis for even considering the recognition of this unilateral declaration of independence," Churkin told reporters after attending an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Kosovo.

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He said the council agreed that UN Security Council resolution 1244 adopted in 1999 remains in force and that the UN presence in Kosovo remains in force.

"Therefore, there can be no unilateral proclamation of independence," Churkin said, adding that this declaration should be "disregarded by the international community."

Churkin urged those countries who "might be tempted to contemplate recognition of" Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence to take into account" this very strong legal position."

The legal foundation is "very clear" for UN chief Ban Ki-moon to give instructions to the head of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Joackim Rucker, to declare Kosovo's proclamation of independence "null and void," he said.

According to the Russian envoy, the UN chief, who briefed the council at the urgent meeting, also agreed that resolution 1244 remains in force and that the head of UNMIK continues to have the overall authority in Pristina.

"Those are two very important statements to us," although they "fall somewhat short" of the Russian expectation, he said. "But I think this is an important beginning."

Reiterating a concern about the security situation in Kosovo, the Russian envoy warned "strongly against any attempts to coerce the Serbs in Kosovo who might want to challenge the unilateral declaration of independence."

Kosovo's parliament voted Sunday to adopt a declaration of independence at an extraordinary session on the province's independence from Serbia.

Kosovo now is "an independent, sovereign and democratic state," Parliament Speaker Jakup Krasniqi announced after lawmakers voted 109-0 through a show of hands to approve the declaration.

But Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo.

He urged international organizations "to immediately annul this act, which violates the basic principles of international law."

Kosovo was a southern autonomous province within Serbia before the breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Among its population of 2 million, over 90 percent are ethnic Albanians and Serbs make up about 7 percent.

Kosovo has been under UN administration since mid-1999, after NATO air-strikes drove out Serbian forces from the province.