UN General Assembly head is unsure Kosovo can attend debate

Oct 3, 2008, 18:01 GMT

New York - The UN General Assembly is scheduled to debate next week Serbia's request for a legal opinion on Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, but the assembly's president said Friday Kosovo officials may not be allowed to take part in it.

Several countries that have recognized Kosovo since it declared independence in February have called on Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, the assembly president, to allow the government in Pristina to attend the debate on October 8 since the issue directly affects it.

Miguest d'Escoto said the assembly's meeting procedures may not allow Pristina to attend the debate. Kosovo, recognized by more than 40 governments, is not yet a UN member.

'I am not against anybody taking part in the hearing, but I don't know,' the Nicaraguan diplomat said.

Serbia asked the 192-nation assembly to support its request to demand that the International Court of Justice at The Hague issue an advisory opinion on whether Kosovo's independence legal or not.

Kosovo has been campaigning for recognition and to establish diplomatic ties with as many countries as it could. Serbia, backed by Russia, is trying to bloc that campaign, hoping that the ICJ will declare the independence illegal.

Serbia still claims that Kosovo is part of its territory, but has renounced use of force to retake it. Instead, it has turned to legal means and believes that the ICJ can clarify international law about allowing Kosovo to secede from Serbia.

If the assembly approved Serbia's request, it would be in the form of a resolution that will be sent to the ICJ.

Britain, one of countries that have recognized Kosovo, said Kosovo should be allowed to present its case before the court.

Kosovo's Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni was at UN headquarters this week to lobby UN members to reject Serbia's request.

'The side-effects of the Serbian request are that it may cause many countries to put on hold for a short time their decision to recognize Kosovo's independence,' Hyseni said.