MOSCOW. March 30 (Interfax) - Russia and Serbia view the assault on Serbs in Kosovo as a provocation from Pristina, and Moscow will assist Belgrade in defending its interests and rights, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and Serbian Ambassador to Russia Slavenko Terzic discussed the recent incident in the city of Kosovska Mitrovica at a meeting in Moscow.
"In consideration of the situation in Kosovo, the parties expressed uniform judgements regarding the provocation committed by the Pristina authorities on March 26 to intimidate the Serbs living in the province," the ministry said in a statement following the meeting.
"Russia reaffirmed its determination to provide assistance to its Serbian partners in defending Serbia's legitimate rights and interests as regards Kosovo. It emphasized that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 remains the basis of the Kosovo settlement process," it said.