OREANDA-NEWS. February 28, 2008. The Republic of Belarus was deeply concerned about the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence by ad hoc administration bodies of the autonomy, reads a message sent by Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko to President of Serbia Boris Tadic.

The press service of the President of Belarus cited the message as saying, “The follow-up increase in tensions in the Serbian autonomy confirms our fears for an increase in instability in the autonomy, which may lead to unpredictable consequences,” remarked Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus is convinced, the crisis situation in relations between Belgrade and Pristina can be resolved only in the international law area on the basis of the effective resolution No 1244 (1999) of the UN Security Council.

“The application of dual standards in such sensitive issues is inadmissible,” believes the President of Belarus. “The recognition of ‘independence’ by certain countries demonstrates the genuineness of the ‘friendly’ intentions of the West with regard to Serbia”.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked, the Belarusian and Serbian nations are connected by many centuries of friendship, which has lived through many trials, and today Belarus expresses its solidarity with the Serbians’ intention to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.