Ban might reopen Kosovo negotiations

The UN secretary-general might soon appoint a negotiator to re-open negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on Kosovo’s status, said The Times on Friday. The negotiator could be Jean-Marie Guehenno of France, who is soon to end his term of office as UN undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations, the London daily said, quoting western diplomats. Ban might reopen Kosovo negotiations As Tanjug has learned, Guehenno is due to arrive in Belgrade early next week for talks with Serbian officials on a series of outstanding issues resulting from the unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians, as well as the opening of an investigation into the events in Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17 this year. The precise date of his visit has not been set yet, and the announcement of the visit itself came after talks between Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Ban Ki-moon, Tanjug learned at UN Headquarters in New York. Ban took that opportunity to promise that the UN would launch an investigation into the events in mid-March that had led to the outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo, the sources told Tanjug. The Times said that Ban's decision to entrust Guehenno with re-opening negotiations might take Kosovo into a so-called period of transition—without a definite status, in spite of the fact that the Kosovo Albanians' declared unilateral independence. "Western diplomats fear that the UN chief may hand Russia significant concessions on the newly independent Kosovo, which Russia refuses to recognized. The Kremlin is pressing Ban to ignore, or at least prolong, a proposed 120-day transition period to Kosovo independence from Serbia that expires on June 16," the newspaper reported Friday. The result would be that, "despite its declaration of independence on February 17, and recognition by dozens of other nations, Kosovo could find itself in another 'temporary period' with an uncertain status", The Times says. Describing the secretary-general's posture in Moscow as "almost apologetic", the paper goes on to say that Ban has "caused splits among his own mission in Kosovo by siding with a UN official who is considered pro-Serb – Gerard Galluci", the American running UNMIK in Kosovska Mitrovica. Galluci, The Times writes about the March 17 deadly riots in the town, "wrote a cable to UN headquarters criticizing his immediate superiors for asking UN police and NATO troops to retake a courthouse seized by Serb protesters, leading to a gunfight". "Joachim Ruecker, the UN representative in Kosovo, and his deputy, Lawrence [Larry] Rossin, argued that Galluci should be dismissed for insubordination, sources say, but Mr. Ban refused their request," the newspaper concludes. Ban Ki-moon, right, on his recent visit to Moscow (Tanjug)

Ban might reopen Kosovo negotiations

As Tanjug has learned, Guehenno is due to arrive in Belgrade early next week for talks with Serbian officials on a series of outstanding issues resulting from the unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians, as well as the opening of an investigation into the events in Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17 this year.

The precise date of his visit has not been set yet, and the announcement of the visit itself came after talks between Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Ban Ki-moon, Tanjug learned at UN Headquarters in New York.

Ban took that opportunity to promise that the UN would launch an investigation into the events in mid-March that had led to the outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo, the sources told Tanjug.

The Times said that Ban's decision to entrust Guehenno with re-opening negotiations might take Kosovo into a so-called period of transition—without a definite status, in spite of the fact that the Kosovo Albanians' declared unilateral independence.

"Western diplomats fear that the UN chief may hand Russia significant concessions on the newly independent Kosovo, which Russia refuses to recognized. The Kremlin is pressing Ban to ignore, or at least prolong, a proposed 120-day transition period to Kosovo independence from Serbia that expires on June 16," the newspaper reported Friday.

The result would be that, "despite its declaration of independence on February 17, and recognition by dozens of other nations, Kosovo could find itself in another 'temporary period' with an uncertain status", The Times says.

Describing the secretary-general's posture in Moscow as "almost apologetic", the paper goes on to say that Ban has "caused splits among his own mission in Kosovo by siding with a UN official who is considered pro-Serb – Gerard Galluci", the American running UNMIK in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Galluci, The Times writes about the March 17 deadly riots in the town, "wrote a cable to UN headquarters criticizing his immediate superiors for asking UN police and NATO troops to retake a courthouse seized by Serb protesters, leading to a gunfight".

"Joachim Ruecker, the UN representative in Kosovo, and his deputy, Lawrence [Larry] Rossin, argued that Galluci should be dismissed for insubordination, sources say, but Mr. Ban refused their request," the newspaper concludes.