State Duma to grant Serbs asylum in Russia?

State Duma discussed the draft of its address on the ethnic violence in Kosovo.
Leader of Rodina (Motherland) Fraction Dmitry Rogozin with the support of Deputy Duma Chairman Vladimir Zhirinovsky offered to consider the draft of the address to Russian government on granting Kosovo Serbs political asylum in Russia. Vladimir Zhirinovsky requested urgent sending Duma delegation in Kosovo and insisted that Russian Foreign Ministry must hold tough position regarding to the events in Kosovo.

Head of Duma Committee on International Relations Konstantin Kosachev said that he agreed with the concerns of his colleagues on the situation in the Balkans, but could not support the offer made by Dmitry Rogozin, Interfax reported.

Konstantin Kosachev said that the governments of Serbia and Montenegro did not request Russia to grant political asylum to the 40-thousand Kosovo Serbs. In addition, the draft address prepared by Rogozin, was not submitted to the Duma Committee on International Relations in advance, and this violates the regulations for the Duma.

Finally, the compromising decision was made: the deputies who had initiated preparing the address were required to prepare new draft address along with the Duma Committee on International Relations. The majority of Duma deputies voted for this decision.

Source: NEWsru