Azerbaijan, Baku /corr Trend K.Ramazanova /TheU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes that granting Kosovo independence cannot be a precedent for separatist movements in other countries, including Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Ki-moon stated at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York on 16 July, "I'd like to make it clear that this issue of Kosovo is a sui generis (unique) issue" that will not create any precedence for other situations such as for Georgia's Abkhazia republic or Azerbaijan's disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region,.
At the end of last week the United States and its allies sent the UN Security Council the next 4th draft resolution on the future status of Kosovo which caused serious objections by Russia.
Ban Ki Moon is concerned over the Security Council's inability to define the future status of Kosovo. In Europe, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning that further delays to resolve Kosovo's future could lead to renewed violence in the Balkan region. "Any further delay or prolongation on this very important issue will have a very negative impact on all peace and security not only in Kosovo, not only in the Balkans, but in all European situations.
"I hope the UN Security Council members can resolve this problem on the basis of recommendations by my special representative. I also discussed this issue with a number of heads of Security Council member-states, including Russian President Vladimir Putin," the UN Secretary General said. Recommendations by the UN Envoy Martti Ahtisaari include all elements needed to define the future status of Kosovo.