Rohan hopes for new Kosovo proposals

Martti Ahtisaari's deputy Albert Rohan says he hopes Belgrade and Pristina will offer new proposals as they meet in Vienna. “I am not too optimistic. However, maybe the two sides will surprise us. It was the wish of Russia, Serbia and a few European Union countries to continue talks,” the UN deputy Kosovo envoy in the previous Kosovo talks said. Rohan hopes for new Kosovo proposals “The Serbs and Albanians must be given the opportunity to reach a solution. Whether this will succeed, depends exclusively on the political will of the two sides,” he told Vienna daily Die Presse. Rohan said that if Russia continued a political blockade of the process, the solution for Kosovo needed to be sought outside the UN Security Council, “with great regret.” Asked whether he agreed with the statement of Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos that more needed to be offered to the Serbs, Rohan said that “within Kosovo, Serbs cannot be offered anything more.“ “Ahtisaari’s plan offers many measures working towards the Serb community in Kosovo, which is above and beyond regular minority community protection. As far as other topics are concerned, such as Serbia entering the EU and NATO, that is up to those organizations,” the diplomat said. Asked whether a partition of Kosovo was possible, Rohan said that this option had been rejected by the Contact Group with good reason, because it would not solve the problems of the Serbian community in Kosovo, but only make it worse. “More than half of the Kosovo Serbs live in the northern region, and the Serbian monasteries are in the south. Also this would set a precedent for Albanians in Macedonia and south Serbia. Moreover, Serbs and Kosovo Albanians have rejected such a solution as well,” Rohan said. Asked why the proposal made by him and Martti Ahtisaari had been rejected, he said that Serbia would not accept any form of independence, even the limited type that was proposed, and Kosovo Albanians would only accept independence.

Rohan hopes for new Kosovo proposals

“The Serbs and Albanians must be given the opportunity to reach a solution. Whether this will succeed, depends exclusively on the political will of the two sides,” he told Vienna daily Die Presse.

Rohan said that if Russia continued a political blockade of the process, the solution for Kosovo needed to be sought outside the UN Security Council, “with great regret.”

Asked whether he agreed with the statement of Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos that more needed to be offered to the Serbs, Rohan said that “within Kosovo, Serbs cannot be offered anything more.“

“Ahtisaari’s plan offers many measures working towards the Serb community in Kosovo, which is above and beyond regular minority community protection. As far as other topics are concerned, such as Serbia entering the EU and NATO, that is up to those organizations,” the diplomat said.

Asked whether a partition of Kosovo was possible, Rohan said that this option had been rejected by the Contact Group with good reason, because it would not solve the problems of the Serbian community in Kosovo, but only make it worse.

“More than half of the Kosovo Serbs live in the northern region, and the Serbian monasteries are in the south. Also this would set a precedent for Albanians in Macedonia and south Serbia. Moreover, Serbs and Kosovo Albanians have rejected such a solution as well,” Rohan said.

Asked why the proposal made by him and Martti Ahtisaari had been rejected, he said that Serbia would not accept any form of independence, even the limited type that was proposed, and Kosovo Albanians would only accept independence.