Russia says Kosovo creates precedent for separatists

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo would create a precedent which will be used by separatists elsewhere around the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Moscow, a close Serb ally, has long opposed independence for Kosovo, partly because it fears pro-Russian separatists in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia could use this as a pretext for demanding international recognition.

Lavrov told a news conference that Kosovo independence would set a precedent not just for the disputed Georgian territories but for "200 territories" around the world.

"The precedent will be created not because we want it but because it will be objectively created ... because justice is an understanding that drives people," he said.

"If someone is allowed to do something, many others will expect similar treatment."

Should Kosovo unilaterally decide to split away from Serbia, international recognition was not a fait accompli, Lavrov added.

"It is being suggested to us that we resign ourselves to the inevitable," he said.

"We feel that in the EU there are sober voices or heads. People are starting more and more to think: What next ? How will neighbouring countries behave ... what will happen in other regions ?"

"We need to speak the truth and not hide from a difficult problem by just saying simply that we cannot tolerate the status quo any more".