Contact Group meets Thursday

Contact Group meets Thursday

No press release or statements will be available after the meeting.

A Foreign Office reperesentative could not give any details today regarding the group’s next moves or the negotiating Troika's plans.

Earlier today, Priština daily Zeri reported that at this meeting, U.S., EU and Russian mediators Frank Wisner, Wolfgang Ischinger, and Alexandar Botsan-Harchenko will receive the final instructions from the Contact Group before visiting Belgrade and Priština.

Zeri wrote that Contact Group officials are discussing the form in which the Kosovo talks should proceed every day by telephone, and that Ischinger is currently assembling a team of advisors.

The logistics of the Belgrade and Priština visits will be organized by the EU missions in both cities.

According to the daily, since Russia is against it, UN Kosovo envoy Martti Ahtisaari and his deputy Albert Rohan will not attend the meetings, but will be replaced by UNOSEK senior officials.

Priština’s three principles

Daily Koha Ditore writes that the Priština status negotiation team will operate under three principles: no negotiations regarding independence, no discussions of borders, and no changes to Martti Ahtisaari’s proposed plan.

No compromises will be found between Priština and Belgrade, nor will they be found within the Contact Group, another Kosovo newspaper, Express writes today.

Albanian officials stated that they "can no longer be generous", and that after the 120-day deadline for discussions has ended, the Kosovo Government will adopt a resolution proclaiming independence, according to Express.

The daily also writes that international experts believe it is too late to find a compromise and that Kosovo will eventually break away from Serbia.