Thaci “ready to negotiate with northern Kosovo Serbs"

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is ready to accept special talks on the northern Kosovo status but Serbs are against the negotiations. According to Srna news agency, Thaci is trying to get a wider political support from his coalition partners but only his deputy Behgjet Pacolli has so far accepted that the northern Kosovo issue be solved through a dialogue with local Serb leaders and international mediation. Thaci “ready to negotiate with northern Kosovo Serbs" Srna’s source claims that Thaci is under international pressure asking for all political parties in the ruling coalition to agree on the issue and that he wants the biggest opposition Kosovo Albanian party to support the proposal. “Without the support of Isa Mustafa from the Democratic League of Kosovo Thaci cannot start the negotiations on the solving of the northern Kosovo status because it would be the end of his political career,” the source stressed. Thaci has in the last few days spoken to Pacolli and Mustafa on several occasions about drafting a strategy for northern Kosovo. National Council of Northern Kosovo President Milan Ivanovic told Srna that northern Kosovo Serb leaders would reject all negotiations with the so-called Kosovo government and that they requested that the negotiations return under the UN Security Council auspices and that UNMIK adhere to the mandate in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. “There is no chance of northern Kosovo Serb representatives sitting down at the negotiating table with a delegation of the so-called state of Kosovo. The state does not exist for us and therefore there are no negotiations with them,” he explained and added that the talks could only be held under the auspices of the UN Security Council. The EU office in Pristina has assessed that it is certain that the northern Kosovo issue is getting out of control of both domestic and international institutions. “Both are realizing that a separation line between southern and northern Kosovo is being fortified more and more, that KFOR is under pressure of Thaci’s advisory team and that the operation to unblock the roads additionally complicated the situation and united the Serbs,” the EU office pointed out. They stressed that EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar had advised Thaci and the Kosovo government to refrain from unilateral moves and look for a solution through talks. Thaci’s associates claim that the fact that the three Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo have been declared “off limits” zones for EULEX has additionally weakened his position. They are convinced that Thaci’s “lifeline” is to bring all political leaders together around the idea that a solution should be found in the talks with the Serb leaders. Vesti

Thaci “ready to negotiate with northern Kosovo Serbs"

Srna’s source claims that Thaci is under international pressure asking for all political parties in the ruling coalition to agree on the issue and that he wants the biggest opposition Kosovo Albanian party to support the proposal.

“Without the support of Isa Mustafa from the Democratic League of Kosovo Thaci cannot start the negotiations on the solving of the northern Kosovo status because it would be the end of his political career,” the source stressed.

Thaci has in the last few days spoken to Pacolli and Mustafa on several occasions about drafting a strategy for northern Kosovo.

National Council of Northern Kosovo President Milan Ivanović told Srna that northern Kosovo Serb leaders would reject all negotiations with the so-called Kosovo government and that they requested that the negotiations return under the UN Security Council auspices and that UNMIK adhere to the mandate in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

“There is no chance of northern Kosovo Serb representatives sitting down at the negotiating table with a delegation of the so-called state of Kosovo. The state does not exist for us and therefore there are no negotiations with them,” he explained and added that the talks could only be held under the auspices of the UN Security Council.

The EU office in Priština has assessed that it is certain that the northern Kosovo issue is getting out of control of both domestic and international institutions.

“Both are realizing that a separation line between southern and northern Kosovo is being fortified more and more, that KFOR is under pressure of Thaci’s advisory team and that the operation to unblock the roads additionally complicated the situation and united the Serbs,” the EU office pointed out.

They stressed that EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Žbogar had advised Thaci and the Kosovo government to refrain from unilateral moves and look for a solution through talks.

Thaci’s associates claim that the fact that the three Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo have been declared “off limits” zones for EULEX has additionally weakened his position.

They are convinced that Thaci’s “lifeline” is to bring all political leaders together around the idea that a solution should be found in the talks with the Serb leaders.