Moscow, 16 March: Granting Kosovo independence may provoke a series of armed conflicts in some former Soviet republics, Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and ex-Prime Minister Yevgeniy Primakov has said.

"It was so incredibly difficult to put out fires in the post-Soviet territory, and they may flare up again if Kosovo is granted independence (unilaterally - Interfax). Therefore, this subject is very sensitive to us," he told Interfax.

Kosovo cannot be considered a local problem, since its resolution will have a universal impact, Primakov said.

"I would like to say that I see the way out of the situation in continuing negotiations calmly, so that the two parties arrive at some compromise, and they should be prompted to do so by all sides," he said.