West warns Serbia against violence

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The European Union told Serbia on Friday to protect embassies after attacks over Western support for Kosovo's secession, and suggested such violence could harm its prospects of closer ties with the bloc.

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Washington protested and the U.N. Security Council condemned "mob attacks" which Serbia blamed on isolated vandals.

"Things will have to calm down before we can recuperate the climate that would allow for any contact to move on the SAA (stabilization and association agreement)," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

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Russia, Serbia's ally, said Western states should have anticipated the backlash over Kosovo, seen by Serbs as the nation's heartland but now home to an Albanian majority who have been under U.N. rule since NATO drove out Serb forces in 1999.

"People who advocated a unilateral proclamation of independence for Kosovo should have calculated the consequences of this step," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman told RIA news agency.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080222/wl_nm/kosovo_serbia_dc

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Outrage over attack on US embassy in Belgrade

BELGRADE (AFP) - The United States, EU and United Nations led condemnation Friday of attacks on Western embassies in Belgrade, but Russia argued that nations backing Kosovo's independence had only themselves to blame.

The European Union specifically called on the Serbian authorities to ensure the security of foreign delegations, after rioters stormed the US embassy Thursday night, setting fire to the building and attacking other missions.

Some 130 people were injured in the unrest that followed a largely peaceful rally of 150,000 demonstrators protesting against Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday.

The United States called the rioters "thugs" and lodged an angry protest with Belgrade, complaining about the late deployment of riot police.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080222/wl_afp/serbiakosovopolitics_080222124748;_ylt=AqAqAGtkUJlqIlstf1HFohSQOrgF

[SquireJons]

1. Or what, exactly? n/t