UNMIK chief meets with Kosovo leaders

Kosovo President and PM Fatmir Sejdiu and Hashim Thaci say they won't negotiate with Serbia over Kosovo’s status or issues that “touch on Kosovo’s sovereignty.” After meeting with UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier, the Kosovo leaders stated that they were prepared to discuss the other provisions of the Ahtisaari plan with Belgrade. Sejdiu said that there had also been talk of the UNMIK reconfiguration with Zannier. UNMIK chief meets with Kosovo leaders “The talks focused on the UNMIK reconfiguration, as well as on specific movements and possibilities for dialogue with Serbia,” said the Kosovo president. He said that he had stressed the Kosovo institutions’ commitment to respecting international relations and cooperation with Serbia, and that they had never said that they were opposed to talks on issues in the interests of “two sovereign states.” “We’ll never accept a theme or approach whose aim, one way or another, is to prejudice the issue of status. We know that the Serbian representatives’ perennial demands are for this, but we say that that matter is closed,” Sejdiu underlined. The president said that the talks had also broached the issue of the transfer of the remaining UNMIK powers to EULEX and the Kosovo institutions, and that they had received guarantees from Zannier that the UN mission would continue to scale down its contingent. Thaci said that all the energies of the Kosovo institutions were currently devoted to continuing the successful work following the declaration of independence. “Everything with Serbia finished on February 17, when Kosovo was proclaimed a state that has been recognized by 54 countries,” said the Kosovo prime minister. He stressed that he would speak with all neighbors only at the level of independent states. Zannier said that it was true that UNMIK’s role had been reduced and that the powers regarding the issue of dialogue with Serbia now lay with EULEX. “Circumstances on the ground have changed, but as long as Resolution 1244 exists, my mandate is to report to the UN Security Council. I will, of course, continue contact with Belgrade,” said the UNMIK chief. He said that there would not be any pressure on the Kosovo institutions to consent to dialogue with Belgrade. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic met with Zannier last week in New York and invited him to Belgrade for consultations ahead of the talks, while Kosovo officials initially refused to meet with the UNMIK chief. Earlier, UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko said that the purpose of these meetings was for Zannier to bring Sejdiu and Thaci up to speed on what had been said during his meeting with Jeremic last week. Quoting diplomatic sources, the Kosovo press writes that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s report calls for technical dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, adding that the document contains a number of aspects that could be interpreted in different ways. The report also offers the possibility of resolving issues that have been hanging in the air for a long time, Western sources state. EU Envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith will play a key role in the technical talks, with EULEX officials participating as well, the sources say. Local media report that Zannier will travel to Belgrade next week, though it is not known if Feith or any EULEX or Kosovo officials will be accompanying him. Kosovo officials do not want UNMIK to have any kind of role in the process, especially after talks between Belgrade and UNMIK culminated in the six-point plan, opposed by Pristina. Thaci, Zannier, Sejdiu (Beta, archive)

UNMIK chief meets with Kosovo leaders

“The talks focused on the UNMIK reconfiguration, as well as on specific movements and possibilities for dialogue with Serbia,” said the Kosovo president.

He said that he had stressed the Kosovo institutions’ commitment to respecting international relations and cooperation with Serbia, and that they had never said that they were opposed to talks on issues in the interests of “two sovereign states.”

“We’ll never accept a theme or approach whose aim, one way or another, is to prejudice the issue of status. We know that the Serbian representatives’ perennial demands are for this, but we say that that matter is closed,” Sejdiu underlined.

The president said that the talks had also broached the issue of the transfer of the remaining UNMIK powers to EULEX and the Kosovo institutions, and that they had received guarantees from Zannier that the UN mission would continue to scale down its contingent.

Thaci said that all the energies of the Kosovo institutions were currently devoted to continuing the successful work following the declaration of independence.

“Everything with Serbia finished on February 17, when Kosovo was proclaimed a state that has been recognized by 54 countries,” said the Kosovo prime minister.

He stressed that he would speak with all neighbors only at the level of independent states.

Zannier said that it was true that UNMIK’s role had been reduced and that the powers regarding the issue of dialogue with Serbia now lay with EULEX.

“Circumstances on the ground have changed, but as long as Resolution 1244 exists, my mandate is to report to the UN Security Council. I will, of course, continue contact with Belgrade,” said the UNMIK chief.

He said that there would not be any pressure on the Kosovo institutions to consent to dialogue with Belgrade.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić met with Zannier last week in New York and invited him to Belgrade for consultations ahead of the talks, while Kosovo officials initially refused to meet with the UNMIK chief.

Earlier, UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko said that the purpose of these meetings was for Zannier to bring Sejdiu and Thaci up to speed on what had been said during his meeting with Jeremić last week.

Quoting diplomatic sources, the Kosovo press writes that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s report calls for technical dialogue between Priština and Belgrade, adding that the document contains a number of aspects that could be interpreted in different ways.

The report also offers the possibility of resolving issues that have been hanging in the air for a long time, Western sources state.

EU Envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith will play a key role in the technical talks, with EULEX officials participating as well, the sources say.

Local media report that Zannier will travel to Belgrade next week, though it is not known if Feith or any EULEX or Kosovo officials will be accompanying him.

Kosovo officials do not want UNMIK to have any kind of role in the process, especially after talks between Belgrade and UNMIK culminated in the six-point plan, opposed by Priština.