Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin exited angrily from a UN Security Council meeting Monday after a "sermon" by UN special representative Joachim Rucker advocating "outright independence" for Kosovo.

Churkin clarified later that he had not walked out since his aide remained in attendance at the closed session on the future of Kosovo.

"There was a strong Russian statement, you can report that," Churkin told reporters after the meeting adjourned.

"I was very upset by what I heard from Mr. Rucker today," Churkin told reporters after walking out. "His remarks have been extremely one-sided and unhelpful."

Churkin lambasted Rucker for surpassing the authority vested in him by "preaching for independence instead of discussing implementation of Resolution 1244," adopted by the UN Security Council on June 10, 1999.

Rucker, for his part, defended his statements, saying that he had only been "describing the perceptions on the ground."

This tempestuous exchange Monday came a day after Russia asked for UN special envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari to be replaced.

"If there is no agreement, and so far as we understand there isn't, that means it is necessary to continue talks and to appoint a new special representative," the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov as saying on Sunday.

Ahtisaari's plan, which would ultimately provide Kosovo with independence, has been welcomed in the West. It has however met with steely opposition from Russia, which fears it would legitimize independence movements in other European regions.

Churkin on Monday avoided the issue of replacing Ahtisaari, declaring the main urge should be to continue negotiations with "those who push for more progress in the negotiations."

"We do not see how the Security Council can back a solution which imposes certain things when Resolution 1244 has not been implemented due to its standards being too low or where the Council condones severing a part of a sovereign country, " Churkin said.

"There must be a serious effort for negotiation and the kind of preaching of an inevitability and absolute need for immediate solution on the status ... are unhelpful," he said.

At Monday's regular press briefing, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, spoke of Ban's full confidence in Ahtisaari. "This process has to go on and Mr. Ahtisaari is in charge."

In Washington, the United States also echoed support for the beleaguered Finnish diplomat.

"We think Mr. Ahtisaari is doing a good job with a very, very tough issue," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "It is time to bring some possible solution to the issue of Kosovo."

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, president for Serbia's Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija, and Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu were presented at Monday's session which saw Churkin storm out.

Rucker, the UN special representative, spoke of the Serbian delegation's as being " totally incompatible with ... the situation of the Kosovar Serbs in Kosovo."

"We do have the impression that isolated incidents are misrepresented," Rucker said.

Dragana Ivanovic, press secretary for the Serbian mission to the United Nations, said the last four months had seen 52 "ethnically motivated attacks on Serbs and members of non-Albanian communities" in Kosovo with 22 of them specifically targeting Serb returnees and their property.

Ivanovic lashed them out, calling these "threats by Albanian separatists and terrorists that are happening in Kosovo and Metohija."

"We support the initiative to continue the negotiation process and open dialogue, which will be conducted in good faith," Ivanovic said. "We think that such talks can result in a compromise in a negotiated solution in conformity with the UN Charter and equally beneficial for both Serbs and Albanians and for their future."

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2007)