Belgrade open to Kosovo partition discussion

The head of Belgrade's negotiating team in the ongoing Kosovo dialogue says they are "not shying away from the possibility to discuss a partition of Kosovo". "We are free to talk about anything and you'll never hear me say, 'no, that's absolutely unacceptable and it cannot be discussed'," Borko Stefanovic told Belgrade's Blic newspaper. Belgrade open to Kosovo partition discussion The Kosovo Albanian side, according to him, "should adjust its approach in the search for solutions" - rather than "seeking our confirmation of their so-called independence, because that's something they will never get". The issue of Kosovo's status, continued Stefanovic, has been contained in each topic discussed in the talks thus far, but he noted that problems arose when the Pristina side "insisted that we give confirmation of the way they see the status". Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence more than three years ago, but Serbia rejected the proclamation. The fourth round of the ongoing talks will not see new topics opened, Stefanovic expects. Instead, those issues that gave already been discussed should be "successively solved and closed", according to him. "We expect the EU to have an active role, especially when it comes to those points where positions have not gotten closer," said the Belgrade team chief. Stefanovic also stated that it was not realistic for the talks to last too long, and that some of the more important problems should be solved by the end of this or mid-next year. After that, "we should go to the essence of regulating the relations". "This dialogue has shown that negotiations are difficult, yielding small results, but that they, nevertheless, exist," said he. Stefanovic also addressed the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, who, he said, "feared that the whole process was conducted for the sake of Belgrade only". The talks, he said, "are not a game that someone must win". He also announced that he would spend more time in Kosovo, where he would meet with ethnic Albanian representatives. Stefanovic singled out the questions of telecommunications, electricity supply, and in particular customs stamps as the most contentious, "since there's a clash of two concepts". As for the alleged crimes perpetrated by ethnic Albanian KLA against the province's Serbs in 1999 and 2000, and Serbia's initiative to have the organ trafficking case investigated under the UN auspices, Stefanovic said the UN Security Council's control mechanism was necessary, "because there are clear limitations to the possibility of conducting an investigation limited to the justice system in Kosovo, or only EULEX". "The process is in its initial phase and we must wait and see how it develops," concluded Stefanovic. Borko Stefanovic (Tanjug, file)

Belgrade open to Kosovo partition discussion

The Kosovo Albanian side, according to him, "should adjust its approach in the search for solutions" - rather than "seeking our confirmation of their so-called independence, because that's something they will never get".

The issue of Kosovo's status, continued Stefanović, has been contained in each topic discussed in the talks thus far, but he noted that problems arose when the Priština side "insisted that we give confirmation of the way they see the status".

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence more than three years ago, but Serbia rejected the proclamation.

The fourth round of the ongoing talks will not see new topics opened, Stefanović expects. Instead, those issues that gave already been discussed should be "successively solved and closed", according to him.

"We expect the EU to have an active role, especially when it comes to those points where positions have not gotten closer," said the Belgrade team chief.

Stefanović also stated that it was not realistic for the talks to last too long, and that some of the more important problems should be solved by the end of this or mid-next year. After that, "we should go to the essence of regulating the relations".

"This dialogue has shown that negotiations are difficult, yielding small results, but that they, nevertheless, exist," said he.

Stefanović also addressed the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, who, he said, "feared that the whole process was conducted for the sake of Belgrade only".

The talks, he said, "are not a game that someone must win".

He also announced that he would spend more time in Kosovo, where he would meet with ethnic Albanian representatives.

Stefanović singled out the questions of telecommunications, electricity supply, and in particular customs stamps as the most contentious, "since there's a clash of two concepts".

As for the alleged crimes perpetrated by ethnic Albanian KLA against the province's Serbs in 1999 and 2000, and Serbia's initiative to have the organ trafficking case investigated under the UN auspices, Stefanović said the UN Security Council's control mechanism was necessary, "because there are clear limitations to the possibility of conducting an investigation limited to the justice system in Kosovo, or only EULEX".

"The process is in its initial phase and we must wait and see how it develops," concluded Stefanović.