Belgrade rejects Ischinger Kosovo idea

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has announced his participation in the November 5 Kosovo talks in Vienna. "It will be an important meeting, because Serbia will insist on a clear definition that the negotiating process must be conducted within the framework of Resolution 1244, which means that Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and essential autonomy for the province’s Albanian national minority guaranteed," Kostunica has told Tanjug. Belgrade rejects Ischinger Kosovo idea The prime minister underlined that, should the mediating Troika’s EU representative Wolfgang Ischinger go ahead with his proposal for Kosovo’s future status to be structured according to the model of former relations between East and West Germany, Serbia would reject the proposal in no uncertain terms. "In Resolution 1244 there is no mention of either the province’s independence, or the 1972 German model. Thereby, in line with Resolution 1244, there can be no discussion of this proposal," he stressed. A resolution of the Kosovo crisis according to the 1972 Berlin Agreement is unacceptable, Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic said earlier today. "If this information is true, I can only say that our side cannot accept any document of such or similar content," Samardzic said in Belgrade, adding that Belgrade doubted that the information was correct, as only the Troika itself could put forward such proposals. Tanjug news agency had earlier quoted its diplomatic sources as saying that Wolfgang Ischinger will ask Belgrade and Pristina to settle the Kosovo status crisis according to the 1972 Berlin Agreement. According to this report, the EU envoy to The Contact Group Troika, overseeing the negotiations between Kosovo Albanian leadership and the government in Belgrade, will propose that their relations be arranged as those of two states and in the way the two Germanys did under the deal 35 years ago. But Samardzic said in reaction that anything of the kind will be ruled out by Belgrade, as it would in essence mean recognizing Kosovo as an independent state. He reminded that the 1972 agreement between the two Germanys saw the two countries recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the other. "Kosovo is not such a case. It is a province within Serbia under international UN administration, and its status will be set during the negotiations conducted within the Resolution 1244 framework," Samardzic stressed. He added that 1244 does not allow for any agreements that resemble deals between states, such as the one signed by the two German states in 1972. "We were therefore surprised that anyone from the Troika, much less the Troika as a whole, could put forward such a thing." The aim of the Berlin Agreement was to establish good neighborly relations of the two Germanys and guarantee de facto, but not de jure, recognition of East Germany. By promoting the 1972 example, diplomats indicated, Ischinger obviously has in mind the offer put forward by Pristina on "good neighborly relations of two independent states," presented during the talks on the future status of Serbia's southern province, but not Serbia's refusal to split its own state. Reaction of U.S. and Russian representatives in the Troika, and Pristina are still unknown. Vojislav Kostunica (FoNet, archive)

Belgrade rejects Ischinger Kosovo idea

The prime minister underlined that, should the mediating Troika’s EU representative Wolfgang Ischinger go ahead with his proposal for Kosovo’s future status to be structured according to the model of former relations between East and West Germany, Serbia would reject the proposal in no uncertain terms.

"In Resolution 1244 there is no mention of either the province’s independence, or the 1972 German model. Thereby, in line with Resolution 1244, there can be no discussion of this proposal," he stressed.

A resolution of the Kosovo crisis according to the 1972 Berlin Agreement is unacceptable, Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić said earlier today.

"If this information is true, I can only say that our side cannot accept any document of such or similar content," Samardžić said in Belgrade, adding that Belgrade doubted that the information was correct, as only the Troika itself could put forward such proposals.

Tanjug news agency had earlier quoted its diplomatic sources as saying that Wolfgang Ischinger will ask Belgrade and Priština to settle the Kosovo status crisis according to the 1972 Berlin Agreement.

According to this report, the EU envoy to The Contact Group Troika, overseeing the negotiations between Kosovo Albanian leadership and the government in Belgrade, will propose that their relations be arranged as those of two states and in the way the two Germanys did under the deal 35 years ago.

But Samardžić said in reaction that anything of the kind will be ruled out by Belgrade, as it would in essence mean recognizing Kosovo as an independent state.

He reminded that the 1972 agreement between the two Germanys saw the two countries recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the other.

"Kosovo is not such a case. It is a province within Serbia under international UN administration, and its status will be set during the negotiations conducted within the Resolution 1244 framework," Samardžić stressed.

He added that 1244 does not allow for any agreements that resemble deals between states, such as the one signed by the two German states in 1972.

"We were therefore surprised that anyone from the Troika, much less the Troika as a whole, could put forward such a thing."

The aim of the Berlin Agreement was to establish good neighborly relations of the two Germanys and guarantee de facto, but not de jure, recognition of East Germany.

By promoting the 1972 example, diplomats indicated, Ischinger obviously has in mind the offer put forward by Priština on "good neighborly relations of two independent states," presented during the talks on the future status of Serbia's southern province, but not Serbia's refusal to split its own state.

Reaction of U.S. and Russian representatives in the Troika, and Priština are still unknown.