Official: Russia’s position unchanged

Official: Russia’s position unchanged

Asked how his country plans to act once the UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s plan is put up for a vote at the UN SC, Krivtsov said, “When that happens, we will see.”

U.S. calls for Kosovo agreement after failed talks

The United States expressed regret at the failure of talks between Belgrade and Priština in Vienna.

"The talks demonstrate that Belgrade and Priština remain diametrically opposed on the question of the Kosovo status," said a US State Department spokeswoman Joan Moore on Sunday.

Washington expressed support for the revised plan drawn up by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari.

"The settlement proposal revised after the several weeks of consultations with the parties is a fair document," Moore said. "It's a blueprint for a more stable and democratic Kosovo that protects the right of all."

"We support the intent to present a final report to the UN Security Council by the end of the month. We call on all the parties to come together on the proposal," she said.

After thirteen months of negotiations aimed at finding a solution for Kosovo, Belgrade and Priština were unable to find common ground on which to settle the fate of the disputed province.

Fried: Kosovo plan will not set precedent for other conflict areas

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried on Monday dismissed suggestions that putting Kosovo on the road to independence in accordance with a United Nations plan would only embolden other separatist movements in Europe.

Freid, just back from a trip to the Balkans, said the situation on Kosovo "is not precedent for any other area," whether it be Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Trans-Dniester or Corsica.

"I will not assume there will be a Russian veto," Fried said, alluding an eventual Security Council vote on the plan, which will be subject to council revisions.

Fried met with reporters after visits to Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia. He acknowledged that there was "not a great deal of trust" between the parties and said there are armed extremists opposed to the plan on both sides.

He said it was not surprising that these groups have weapons. "This is the Balkans," he said. "People have guns."

On the optimistic side, he said that based on his discussions, the 10 per cent Serb population in Kosovo seems determined to stay in the region instead of heading north to Serbia.

He also rejected the notion that there is widespread political violence in the province.

"There aren't that many incidents," he said. "The number of incidents have been dropping, by all accounts."

He said the current situation of "stalemate, deadlock and dithering" is unsustainable after almost eight years of U.N. control over the region that has been enforced by NATO troops.