Vienna: round seven

Vienna: round seven

Sanda Rašković-Ivić, Kosovo coordinating center chairwoman, told B92 that the offer to form protected zones around churches and monasteries remains on the table. ‘Concerning the religious heritage, we insist on 42 locations’, she said.

Kosovo PM, Agim Ceku, said that Kosovo has many reasons to protect its cultural heritage, since there is common interest in that. He said that the Kosovo institutions’ representatives agree to the creation of protected zones around some structures, according to international conventions. Structures’ size and relevance will determine the zones.

UNESCO included the Dečani monastery on its official list two days ago, alongside the Peć patriarchy, Gračanica and the Church of Bogorodica Ljeviška, under a common banner: ‘Mediaeval monuments in Kosovo’.

When it comes to decentralization, the contested issue of the number of Serb municipalities will come up once again. According to what B92’s has unofficially learned, Belgrade has decreased its demands from 18 to 10 new municipalities. Priština too changed its stance on formation of new municipalities, offering two. The Kosovo team spokesman clarified the two are Klokot and Parteš.

Koštunica and Tadić pondering

Serbia ’s high officials will most likely hold another meeting by the end of the week, where it will be decided whether the president and the prime minister will accept to meet Kosovo leaders in Vienna. According to the Blic daily, Koštunica is considering accepting a meeting with Kosovo’s PM Agim Ceku, who is charged with war crimes in Serbia and against whom Serbia had issued an international warrant. Tadić is still uncertain whether to talk to Kosovo’s PM and president, Ceku and Seidiu, who, for their part, have already accepted Martti Ahtisaari’s invitation.