Russia warns U.S. of dangers of Kosovo independence

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice that Kosovo's declaration of independence endangers international stability, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said in a brief statement that Lavrov had discussed Kosovo with Rice in a telephone conversation on Monday.

During the call, which the statement said was initiated by Washington, Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and underlined the dangers which Russia says this poses.

"On our side, we confirmed our principled position on the unacceptability of one-sided acts of Pristina declaring its independence."

"We underlined the dangerous consequences of such a step, which is fraught with the destruction of the principles of peace and order and international stability, which have been developed over decades," the statement said.

Russia has backed its ally Serbia in opposing independence for Kosovo. Before Sunday's declaration, Moscow said recognizing Kosovo would create a dangerous legal precedent, opening a "Pandora's Box" of separatist tension around the world.

Russia's armed forces chief of staff, General Yuri Baluyevsky, was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying the declaration "rudely violates agreements reached in Yalta in 1945 and Helsinki in 1973 on the inviolability of borders".

"Those foreign countries who have their own separatist problems have not rushed to recognize Kosovo. Why is Canada not hurrying to recognize Kosovo? Because they have Quebec," he was quoted as saying by Tass.

(Writing by Michael Stott and Conor Sweeney, editing by Mary Gabriel)