Russia denies support for Kosovo partition

Russia denies support for Kosovo partition

He said that all compromises should also be in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and principles of the Contact Group.

Kharchenko said that one of the principles is a lack of predetermined solutions in the negotiation process for the future status of the Serbian province, and that the Serbs and Albanians must find a mutually acceptable compromise.

“The assignment of the Troika is to stimulate the search,” he said.

Kharchenko said that he and the two other envoys, American Frank Wisner and German diplomat representing the EU, Wolfgang Ischinger, all agree that a compromise must be found.

“The beginning of a direct dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is the priority goal of the international envoys' negotiation platform,” Kharchenko said.

He said that the first talks between the envoys and the Serbian and Albanian teams will be on August 29-30, followed by meetings in early September, all in Vienna.

All of the consultations will be separate in the beginning, Kharchenko said.

“The final proposal will be given to the UN Security Council and it can be rejected by the council alone. There is no other legitimate solution for Kosovo’s status,” he said.

He reiterated that the international envoys are not there to propose solutions, but to spark talks and stimulate new ideas in search of a solution. Kharchenko repeated that the Ahtisaari plan was "off the table."

Ischinger: We do not support division of Kosovo

Beta reported late Monday that Wolfgang Ischinger, the European Union's envoy in the international mediating Contact Group Troika, said "neither he, nor the Troika had proposed or supported a division of Kosovo" as a solution for the future status.

"Neither I nor the Troika propose or support a division of Kosovo. The Troika is not proposing any specific option as the solution to the status of Kosovo, particularly not division," Ischinger said after the three mediators concluded their visit to Kosovo in a telephone statement to the Priština daily Zeri.

Commenting on media reports from the news conference in Priština Sunday that he had said the Troika would accept any option agreed on by the two negotiating sides, Ischinger stated that he was under the impression that he had been misinterpreted.

Asked whether the division of Kosovo could be a topic for discussion if one of the sides puts it forward, Ischinger told the Zeri that Priština and Belgrade would not discuss any issues not previously agreed upon.

If one side does not agree, then no discussion on such an issue will be held, Ischinger specified.

Several days ago, Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku stated that Priština would reconsider its participation in the negotiating process if division is imposed as a topic for talks.

Russian ambassador: Belgrade did not propose partition

Aleksandar Alekseyev said Monday that a partition of Kosovo was not proposed to the Troika by Belgrade.

The Russian ambassador to Belgrade said that Moscow “would be able to talk about” a partition of Kosovo if it was “Belgrade’s idea,” but that the notion certainly did not come from Serbia.

“I saw the statement of EU official in the negotiation Troika Wolfgang Ischinger, and I think this was the first time that the idea was officially mentioned,” Alekseyev told daily Večernje novosti.

The ambassador said that Russia “has up until now respected the united stance of the Contact Group that a partition of Kosovo is impossible.”

He said that Russia “is not convinced,” that the announced deadline of December 10 will mark the end of the “Kosovo story.”

“We are completely against any kind of fabricated deadlines and we believe that the discussions should last as long as they need to, until a solution is found,” Aleksiev said.

He said that “every measure of compromise” would be acceptable for Moscow, as long as it was acceptable for both Belgrade and Priština, and that its greatest concern is that the compromise needs to be in accordance with international law and European stability.

Asked whether Belgrade will “let up” on issues in order to reach a compromise, Alekseyev said that Russia has “complete faith in its friends” in Serbia and is sure that they will do everything in order to reach a solution of comprise.