07/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - As study by the Bertelsmann Foundation Centre for Applied Political Research has shown that "the unresolved question of the final status of Kosovo" is practically blocking all progress towards peace; safety and prosperity" and is a "source of ethnic tension". The study considers that to remove the deadlock, the international community must "assume full responsibility for Kosovo" where "the de jure sovereignty of Belgrade (…) will be replaced by a UN Security Council mandate of indefinite length". The authors of the study explain why they advocate a UN protectorate in Kosovo. Wim van Meurs considers that "the productive phase of the 1999 UN resolution postponing the decision on the final status cannot be extended indefinitely" and is not an approach that would allow a real rapprochement between Albanians and Serbs. According to Stefani Weiss "The international community is well aware that Russia and China would oppose their veto for a secession of Kosovo because of Chechnya and Tibet. It is also clear that (…) restoring the sovereignty of Belgrade is not a practicable option".(See EUROPE of 3 April, p.5, on the recent EP vote and of 27 March, p.7 on comments of Jean-Claude Juncker at the European Council).