2007年VOA标准英语-US, Russia Remain Divided on Kosovo Issue

By Andre de Nesnera
Washington
03 July 2007

The United States and Russia remain far apart on the issue of Kosovo. In this report from Washington, senior correspondent André de Nesnera looks at the conflicting views.
 

President George W. Bush greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Walker's Point, the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine

Technically¹, Kosovo - mostly populated by ethnic² Albanians - is still a province of Serbia. But it has been under the administration of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since NATO drove Slobodan Milosevic's forces from the province in 1999.

A recent plan by U.N. envoy³ Martti Ahtisaari calls for Kosovo's independence under international supervision⁴. The Kosovo Albanians accepted the plan - albeit⁵ with reservations - while Serbia rejected it outright⁶. Serb officials say Kosovo has been and always will remain part of Serbia.

Washington and Moscow have opposing views on the merits of the plan. The United States strongly supports Kosovo's independence. Russia is opposed to it and has threatened to use its veto if the proposal comes up for a U.N. Security Council vote.

At the recent summit meeting in Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S. President George Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed Kosovo, but no breakthroughs were announced.  U.S. National Security Adviser⁷ Steven Hadley told reporters diplomats⁸ on both sides will continue talks on the subject.

Robert Legvold, a Russia expert at Columbia University, says issues dividing Washington and Moscow are deep and substantive⁹.

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Kosovo Police patrol on the main bridge of the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica

"The Russians are genuinely opposed to granting independence to Kosovo and I think the Americans are persuaded that whether it would be our preferred course or not, if we don't [support independence for] the Kosovars, the citizens of Kosovo, or the government there will declare independence on its own and will lose control of the situation," he noted¹¹.  "And I think the Russians are deadly serious about preventing any outcome which the Serbs haven't accepted as a mutual¹² compromise and there is no indication there is such a thing. So I think the Russians are prepared in the end, if it comes to that, to cast their veto."

Legvold says a Russian veto could have dangerous consequences for the region.

Jason Lyall, a Russia expert at Princeton University, agrees.

"If Russia vetoes it, and then Kosovo goes ahead and declares unilateral independence on the ground, and then you've got the United States which is probably going to recognize Kosovo independence, but the European Union will split, then you are going to have a major diplomatic event and you might have violence on the ground," he explained.

Lyall says Russia's opposition¹³ to independence goes beyond standing¹⁴ by its Serb brethren.  He says Moscow is worried about the legal precedent¹⁵ it would set in world politics.

"If you have a Kosovo that becomes independent, you have now set a legal precedent for foreign intervention¹⁶ in states to justify¹⁷ and legalize secessionist movements," he added.  "And Russia looks at Kosovo through Chechen eyes. And it very much sees the experience of Chechnya and other republics in its south. And so this is a legal precedent that we do not want to touch. And so I do not know how the West finesses¹⁸ this with Russia. It's not really the Serb issue at all, it's really the legal precedent that it sets and this is going to be a major sticking point."

Experts say many governments are closely watching to see how the Kosovo situation will be resolved, hoping that it would not increase ethnic secessionist tendencies in their neighborhoods.

1 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

5 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

6 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

10 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

16 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

17 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

18 finesses   

v.手腕，手段，技巧( finesse的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• I still have two finesses to make a grand slam. 我还有两张飞牌来完成大满贯。 来自互联网
• I still have two finesses to make my slam. 我还有两次飞牌来完成满贯。 来自互联网