China calls on Kosovo authorities to ensure safety of Serbs

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the Kosovo authorities to safeguard the safety, rights and interests of the Serb community.

The situation in northern Kosovo has been volatile, with authorities carrying out acts that have violated the legitimate rights and interests of the Serbs. China expresses grave concerns over those developments, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, at the meeting of the UN Security Council.

"We urge the Kosovo authorities to cease escalatory unilateral actions, earnestly safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Serb community, and maintain peace and stability in the north," he told the Security Council.

The complex ethnic relations in the region have been shaped by history. Inclusion and reconciliation serve the long-term and fundamental interests of all communities, he said.

"We call on the Kosovo authorities to take seriously the basic appeals of all communities, including Serbs, in political, economic, cultural, and linguistic domains, and adopt proactive measures to foster a stronger sense of security, participation, and fulfillment, thus contributing to greater mutual trust and unity among communities," he said.

Geng said China supports all parties concerned in reaching a mutually acceptable solution through dialogue and consultation, with Serbia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity fully respected.

China stands ready to work with all parties to continue to promote dialogue, engagement, and peaceful coexistence among communities in the region and the early political settlement of the Kosovo issue, he said. ■