Solana to report on Kosovo talks

EU High Representative Javier Solana will today inform EU foreign ministers of developments in the second round of Kosovo talks. Solana attended part of yesterday’s talks between Belgrade and Pristina, and later announced the negotiations were "still far from over." Solana to report on Kosovo talks He said that it was early too speak about the outcome of the talks, although the participants were "fully committed to finding a solution." “I spent some time with them and, on behalf of the EU, urged them to keep going and saw smiles that I hadn’t seen in a long time. You know that elections are taking place in Pristina on November 17, they might complicate the situation a bit, but I think that they’ll be able to overcome that without creating any problems during the resumption of talks,” he said. The Belgrade and Pristina delegations yesterday agreed in Brussels, during the second round of talks, to hold the next round on October 22 in Vienna, the Contact Group mediating Troika announced. The Troika will meet again with the two sides on that date, and then over the following weeks direct meetings will become more frequent, according to the statement given by the mediators following the end of yesterday’s negotiations. Belgrade further elaborated on its proposal for autonomy within Serbia, while Pristina put forward its idea of "friendship and cooperation between two independent countries" respecting full minority rights, it was reported in the Troika statement. Javier Solana (FoNet) Jeremic, Samardzic: Negotiations on status necessary The Belgrade team presented the details of its plan for essential autonomy in Brussels Sunday and called the talks "a good beginning," but did not agree to discuss the Kosovo Albanian side's proposal on "relations between two countries" since the topic of the negotiations was the status of the province, Beta reported. Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic and Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, who led the Serbian delegation, told journalists that this had been pointed out to the Contact Group's mediating Troika and that the negotiations on status would be continued, and that one should not take as a point of departure that the status issue has already been resolved. Samardzic explained that the October. 14 meeting had been "an exchange of opinions, but that no common position with the Albanian side had been achieved." He mentioned that the talks would be much easier and have a better chance for success if there were no "deadlines" and that the Serbian side saw no problem with the Contact Group submitting its report to the UN secretary-general on December 10. He assessed that the problem resided in the fact that promises were being made that, if there is no solution by Decemebr 10, a unilateral declaration of independence would follow, and that it was possible that some countries would unilaterally recognize that independence. "That makes the negotiating process much harder and renders it almost impossible to reach any kind of goal. Without those negative effects, and I am sure about this after today's round of talks, the Serbian and Albanian sides would be involved in a longer process during which they would develop a mutual trust, and along with good mediation by the troika, attain some kind of result," Samardzic underlined. Jeremic said that he hoped the continuation of this form of negotiations would lead to a compromise solution for the status of Kosovo and thereby strengthen peace and stability in the Western Balkans. He added that "the Serbian side remains faithful to the principles that international law must be respected and that agreement between all parties - Belgrade, Pristina and the international community - is essential, in order to establish relations that will enable long-term peace and stability." To the remark that the leaders of the Kosovo Albanians had rejected the Serbian proposal and reiterated that after December 10, if there is no solution, Pristina would unilaterally declare the independence of Kosovo, Jeremic said that "the discussions on the Serbian proposal are to be continued in Vienna."

Solana to report on Kosovo talks

He said that it was early too speak about the outcome of the talks, although the participants were "fully committed to finding a solution."

“I spent some time with them and, on behalf of the EU, urged them to keep going and saw smiles that I hadn’t seen in a long time. You know that elections are taking place in Priština on November 17, they might complicate the situation a bit, but I think that they’ll be able to overcome that without creating any problems during the resumption of talks,” he said.

The Belgrade and Priština delegations yesterday agreed in Brussels, during the second round of talks, to hold the next round on October 22 in Vienna, the Contact Group mediating Troika announced.

The Troika will meet again with the two sides on that date, and then over the following weeks direct meetings will become more frequent, according to the statement given by the mediators following the end of yesterday’s negotiations.

Belgrade further elaborated on its proposal for autonomy within Serbia, while Priština put forward its idea of "friendship and cooperation between two independent countries" respecting full minority rights, it was reported in the Troika statement.

Jeremić, Samardžić: Negotiations on status necessary

The Belgrade team presented the details of its plan for essential autonomy in Brussels Sunday and called the talks "a good beginning," but did not agree to discuss the Kosovo Albanian side's proposal on "relations between two countries" since the topic of the negotiations was the status of the province, Beta reported.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremić and Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić, who led the Serbian delegation, told journalists that this had been pointed out to the Contact Group's mediating Troika and that the negotiations on status would be continued, and that one should not take as a point of departure that the status issue has already been resolved.

Samardžić explained that the October. 14 meeting had been "an exchange of opinions, but that no common position with the Albanian side had been achieved."

He mentioned that the talks would be much easier and have a better chance for success if there were no "deadlines" and that the Serbian side saw no problem with the Contact Group submitting its report to the UN secretary-general on December 10.

He assessed that the problem resided in the fact that promises were being made that, if there is no solution by Decemebr 10, a unilateral declaration of independence would follow, and that it was possible that some countries would unilaterally recognize that independence.

"That makes the negotiating process much harder and renders it almost impossible to reach any kind of goal. Without those negative effects, and I am sure about this after today's round of talks, the Serbian and Albanian sides would be involved in a longer process during which they would develop a mutual trust, and along with good mediation by the troika, attain some kind of result," Samardžić underlined.

Jeremić said that he hoped the continuation of this form of negotiations would lead to a compromise solution for the status of Kosovo and thereby strengthen peace and stability in the Western Balkans.

He added that "the Serbian side remains faithful to the principles that international law must be respected and that agreement between all parties - Belgrade, Priština and the international community - is essential, in order to establish relations that will enable long-term peace and stability."

To the remark that the leaders of the Kosovo Albanians had rejected the Serbian proposal and reiterated that after December 10, if there is no solution, Priština would unilaterally declare the independence of Kosovo, Jeremić said that "the discussions on the Serbian proposal are to be continued in Vienna."