New round of Kosovo talks possible?

New round of Kosovo talks possible?

“D’Alema’s proposal came as a result of the EU’s efforts to tone down the United States’ statements regarding the settlement of Kosovo’s status,” prime minister’s adviser Aleksandar Simić told B92.

Simić, who was present at Friday’s meetings with the Italian foreign minister, said that D’Alema reiterated the EU did not want to completely follow the U.S. Kosovo policy and mentioned certain elements of French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s proposal, advocating new talks between Belgrade and the ethnic Albanian leadership of Kosovo.

“We will welcome fresh talks, but we cannot consent to negotiations the aim of which has been set in advance, nor accept that a framework of the talks that would constitute for a violation of the international law,” he said.

Simić added that the Ministry for Kosovo was mapping out a proposal for the resumption of talks that would clearly state Serbia’s resolve to reach a compromise, and confirm that the province's independence was not an opition.

“Serbia offers supervised autonomy,” he said.

“The sole framework for new talks can be the international law and the UN Charter. Even though Ahtisaari recommended supervised independence, D'Alema refered to it as a sort of limited independence that borders a European protectorate. We advise the concept of supervised autonomy instead,” he explained.

“Our concept gives a chance to an open solution, all the while remaining true to the international law,” Simić added.

He however underscored that Kosovo’s partition was ruled out as an option, as it ran against the Serbian Consitution and pinciples of International law.

As for the possibility of new talks between Belgrade and Priština in the process of Kosovo’s status settlement, U.S. Kosovo envoy Frank Wisner said Friday in Priština that "the Western nations were willing to foster new talks."

"We talked about the possibility of a resolution that might include a period of further discussion about status," he told reporters after meeting Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu.

"If there is to be some further discussion of some time-limited basis, it would be to prove that every effort has been exhausted to achieve an agreement on status. Not to delay what the outcome has to be, but to make it clear to the world that every avenue was pursued," Wisner said.

Report: New Kosovo resolution ready

Priština daily Zeri quoted a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that experts from the U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy finalized a new draft resolution on Friday and submitted the document to their respective governments for approval.

The diplomat alleged that the new draft envisaged a renewal of the UN 1244 resolution for additional 120 days, when both sides would be called to engage in new talks.

“Fresh negotiations will be mediated by a new UN envoy who will receive support of the Contact Group. The new envoy will prepare a report following the talks and submit it to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,” the newspaper said.

If, after the four months of resumed Belgrade-Priština talks, the new envoy concluded that no headway has been made, the international organizations in Kosovo would automatically launch implementation of Ahtisaari’s plan.

When asked who will be appointed new UN Kosovo envoy, the diplomat did not rule out the possibility it would again be Martti Ahtisaari.

“There is an idea that Ahtisaari can keep the post. However, nothing has to date been decided, since we are awaiting Russia’s reaction,” the diplomat said.