Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan is "deeply concerned" over the violence in northern Kosovo, the Azerbaijani ambassador to the United Nations has said in New York.

Agshin Mehdiyev noted that Azerbaijan respected Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and did not recognize Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, the Baku-based APA news agency reported.

Mehdiyev said the UN Security Council’s 1999 resolution on Kosovo’s independence was the binding international legal basis for resolving the Kosovo issue and providing security, including guidelines for a comprehensive settlement in the political process. He emphasized that differences over interpretation of the resolution and the lack of progress in negotiations could not justify unilateral actions.

"The 2010 advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice did not address the circumstances of the unilateral declaration of independence or clarify whether Kosovo had a right to secede from Serbia, whether that action was in conformity with international law, or whether it had led to the creation of a state," Mehdiyev said. "Attempts to impose unilateral solutions to crises, including when such actions were controlled externally or coupled with outside aid, seriously threatened regional peace, security and stability."

Mehdiyev also said that the dangerous escalation of tensions showed how elusive were the hopes of those in favor of the unilateral declaration.