Austrian FM criticizes U.S. over Kosovo

Ursula Plassnik criticized the United States for stating it may unilaterally recognize Kosovo’s independence. The Austrian foreign minister took part in the meeting of EU foreign policy chiefs that ended yesterday in the Portuguese resort of Viana do Costelo. Austrian FM criticizes U.S. over Kosovo She said afterwards that statements about unilateral moves at this stage of the status settlement process "are of no help whatsoever." Plassnik pointed out to a special responsibility on the part of EU’s partners and friends who are permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States and Russia. According to Plassnik, the European Union “is putting enormous efforts and is looking through a magnifying glass to find the last remaining space for negotiations, which is exactly why it would be good if these endeavors were supported.” Speaking about announcements from Pristina that a unilateral proclamation of independence might take place, she noted that the Union is already familiar with Kosovo Albanian’s desire to break off from Serbia, and that those statements come as no surprise. Plassnik added that September 27 in New York would see both sides engaged in direct talks over the status issue. “The Contact Group Troika initiated a new phase of the process, and both Belgrade and Pristina should introduce new creative elements to the talks,” she said. “The EU ministers are fully aware that Kosovo is Europe’s responsibility and a maturity test for the Bloc’s foreign policy,” said Plassnik, adding that it would also be “a test of European maturity for both Belgrade and Pristina.” She said that the Ahtisaari plan remained "the basis for talks", but that the process may move towards the so-called Ahtisaari plus. Speaking of Italy’s suggestion that Serbia should be given a EU candidate status, Plassnik underscored there must not be an impression that Serbia can choose between Kosovo and EU. “The EU candidacy status is achieved by meeting necessary criteria,” she explained. Ursula Plassnik (FoNet, archive) Botsan-Kharchenko: Kosovo - question for UN A question of the future status of Kosovo is one meant for the United Nations to solve, Russian envoy to the Contact Group Troika, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, told Tanjug news agency on Sunday. “The issue concerns us all, it is our joint responsibility,” he said, commenting on recurrent statements of the EU officials that Kosovo was primarily a European question. The Russian diplomat stressed that the Kosovo question is being solved according to UN resolution 1244 “which is still standing as a guiding document.” Explaining Russia’s interests in the Balkans, Botsan-Kharchenko noted that Moscow wants the region to be stable since it is interested to cooperate with all states there. “Russia is maintaining its principled position when it comes to Kosovo’s status settlement process, and it will not approve of any solutions undermining world order and international law.” "Belgrade should present ideas for Kosovo" Belgrade should put forward its proposals that would meet certain expectations of Pristina, enabling it in turn to come up with its own, Bernard Kouchner says. Following the EU ministerial meeting in Portugal, the French foreign minister told Beta news agency that "the Serbian side should use these last negotiations over Kosovo to present its ideas and make suggestions." According to him, “that is actually taking place right now. Wolfgang Ischinger is a good representative of the EU as a mediator, and he is now asking questions, while Belgrade and Pristina are giving answers.” The French diplomat underscored that the EU position was "somewhere in between those of Russia and the United States", and that the EU at the moment was not making any suggestions, rather paying close attention to what others had to say. “The EU is a very concerned party in this issue and we adopted a benevolent attitude,” said Kouchner. “But we want for everyone to understand that the [Kosovo] process is taking place in Europe, and we would not approve of solutions being made elsewhere.“ The EU ministerial meeting ended Saturday in Viana do Castelo in Portugal with the 27 EU members concluding that when it comes to Kosovo "differences remained, but a split would undermine EU credibility." “Unity on Kosovo is key to the credibility of Europe's foreign policy,” Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.

Austrian FM criticizes U.S. over Kosovo

She said afterwards that statements about unilateral moves at this stage of the status settlement process "are of no help whatsoever."

Plassnik pointed out to a special responsibility on the part of EU’s partners and friends who are permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States and Russia.

According to Plassnik, the European Union “is putting enormous efforts and is looking through a magnifying glass to find the last remaining space for negotiations, which is exactly why it would be good if these endeavors were supported.”

Speaking about announcements from Priština that a unilateral proclamation of independence might take place, she noted that the Union is already familiar with Kosovo Albanian’s desire to break off from Serbia, and that those statements come as no surprise.

Plassnik added that September 27 in New York would see both sides engaged in direct talks over the status issue.

“The Contact Group Troika initiated a new phase of the process, and both Belgrade and Priština should introduce new creative elements to the talks,” she said.

“The EU ministers are fully aware that Kosovo is Europe’s responsibility and a maturity test for the Bloc’s foreign policy,” said Plassnik, adding that it would also be “a test of European maturity for both Belgrade and Priština.”

She said that the Ahtisaari plan remained "the basis for talks", but that the process may move towards the so-called Ahtisaari plus.

Speaking of Italy’s suggestion that Serbia should be given a EU candidate status, Plassnik underscored there must not be an impression that Serbia can choose between Kosovo and EU.

“The EU candidacy status is achieved by meeting necessary criteria,” she explained.

Botsan-Kharchenko: Kosovo - question for UN

A question of the future status of Kosovo is one meant for the United Nations to solve, Russian envoy to the Contact Group Troika, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, told Tanjug news agency on Sunday.

“The issue concerns us all, it is our joint responsibility,” he said, commenting on recurrent statements of the EU officials that Kosovo was primarily a European question.

The Russian diplomat stressed that the Kosovo question is being solved according to UN resolution 1244 “which is still standing as a guiding document.”

Explaining Russia’s interests in the Balkans, Botsan-Kharchenko noted that Moscow wants the region to be stable since it is interested to cooperate with all states there.

“Russia is maintaining its principled position when it comes to Kosovo’s status settlement process, and it will not approve of any solutions undermining world order and international law.”

"Belgrade should present ideas for Kosovo"

Belgrade should put forward its proposals that would meet certain expectations of Priština, enabling it in turn to come up with its own, Bernard Kouchner says.

Following the EU ministerial meeting in Portugal, the French foreign minister told Beta news agency that "the Serbian side should use these last negotiations over Kosovo to present its ideas and make suggestions."

According to him, “that is actually taking place right now. Wolfgang Ischinger is a good representative of the EU as a mediator, and he is now asking questions, while Belgrade and Priština are giving answers.”

The French diplomat underscored that the EU position was "somewhere in between those of Russia and the United States", and that the EU at the moment was not making any suggestions, rather paying close attention to what others had to say.

“The EU is a very concerned party in this issue and we adopted a benevolent attitude,” said Kouchner.

“But we want for everyone to understand that the [Kosovo] process is taking place in Europe, and we would not approve of solutions being made elsewhere.“

The EU ministerial meeting ended Saturday in Viana do Castelo in Portugal with the 27 EU members concluding that when it comes to Kosovo "differences remained, but a split would undermine EU credibility."

“Unity on Kosovo is key to the credibility of Europe's foreign policy,” Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.