Ban Ki-moon: Compromise still possible

Ban Ki-moon continues to support the efforts of the Contact Group Troika in finding a solution to the Kosovo crisis. Ban's spokesman Farhan Haq said that the UN secretary general felt that a compromise was still possible. Ban Ki-moon: Compromise still possible “The times aren’t optimistic, but we still haven’t given up on the Troika, nor do we think they should give up, but that we have more time,“ said Haq. The spokesman added that it was obvious that the negotiations had reached a difficult phase, but that Ki-Moon had urged the Troika to remain committed to the process and do everything within their powers before December 10 to reach a consensus. “The Troika is currently working with the sides to try and come to an agreement. Ban continues to support their endeavours, and they will present their report to him,“ he said. EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said in New York that he had spoken with the UN secretary general about the Kosovo status talks and the situation in Bosnia. “We discussed the Balkans in general, particularly Bosnia, and the Troika talks on solving the Kosovo status problem,“ said Solana after his meeting with Ban at UN headquarters. The EU high representative added that they had discussed the Troika statement released at the end of the talks in Austria. Ban Ki-moon (Fonet, archive) “Belgrade has taken step forward“ Forum for International Relations member Dusan Lazic told B92’s Poligraf program that the Serbian side had taken several steps forward at the talks in Baden towards finding a solution. “Everything that’s been presented by our side, from Serbian sovereignty remaining bare sovereignty, from territorial integrity to only a formal side of this territorial integrity remaining; many rights and powers have been given, transferred to the Kosovo Albanians in all domains,“ said Lazic. “Even those powers that Serbia retains, defense for example, those are pretty big powers,“ he added. Lazic said that those proposals would have had a more significant impact had Serbia presented these ideas to the international community a few years earlier. Kosovo will be the theme of B92 radio’s Kaziprst program, where one of the guests will be Zivorad Kovacevic, president of the European Movement in Serbia.

Ban Ki-moon: Compromise still possible

“The times aren’t optimistic, but we still haven’t given up on the Troika, nor do we think they should give up, but that we have more time,“ said Haq.

The spokesman added that it was obvious that the negotiations had reached a difficult phase, but that Ki-Moon had urged the Troika to remain committed to the process and do everything within their powers before December 10 to reach a consensus.

“The Troika is currently working with the sides to try and come to an agreement. Ban continues to support their endeavours, and they will present their report to him,“ he said.

EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said in New York that he had spoken with the UN secretary general about the Kosovo status talks and the situation in Bosnia.

“We discussed the Balkans in general, particularly Bosnia, and the Troika talks on solving the Kosovo status problem,“ said Solana after his meeting with Ban at UN headquarters.

The EU high representative added that they had discussed the Troika statement released at the end of the talks in Austria.

“Belgrade has taken step forward“

Forum for International Relations member Dušan Lazić told B92’s Poligraf program that the Serbian side had taken several steps forward at the talks in Baden towards finding a solution.

“Everything that’s been presented by our side, from Serbian sovereignty remaining bare sovereignty, from territorial integrity to only a formal side of this territorial integrity remaining; many rights and powers have been given, transferred to the Kosovo Albanians in all domains,“ said Lazić.

“Even those powers that Serbia retains, defense for example, those are pretty big powers,“ he added.

Lazić said that those proposals would have had a more significant impact had Serbia presented these ideas to the international community a few years earlier. Kosovo will be the theme of B92 radio’s Kažiprst program, where one of the guests will be Živorad Kovačević, president of the European Movement in Serbia.