EU, U.S., Russia to mediate in Kosovo talks?

EU, U.S., Russia to mediate in Kosovo talks?

According to the same source, the group agreed that the shuttle diplomacy should open the new negotiating process but it is not clear whether there will be a deadline for the talks.

Reuters said that Russia did not accept a Western deadline of 120 days, insisting at the Vienna meeting they be open-ended.

Russia's Itar-Tass reported that the meeting reached no decision to form the troika. The agency quoted a diplomat close to the meeting as saying that the date for the start of the negotiations remained an open issue.

The Contact Group members merely declared themselves in favor of new talks to begin as soon as possible, however, only after “careful organizational preparation and determining of the roles of possible future mediators,” according to the same source.

Both Itar-Tass and RIA Novosti said Kosovo will remain in focus and under control of the international community, while the final decision on its future status will be made in the UN Security Council.

According to Beta’s sources, it has been decided that Martti Ahtisaari will no longer be involved in the talks as an arbitrator.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the EU high representative for foreign common and security policy had discussed by phone Wednesday possibilities to arrange a direct dialogue between Belgrade and Priština with international mediation, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement.

The statement added that the definition of Kosovo’s status remains the UN Security Council’s responsibility, which cannot be substituted by any other international structure, stressing that UN resolution 1244 is the sole legitimate basis for the talks.

“The role of the Contact Group is to offer assistance to direct negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, without imposing outcomes, as the two sides will have to work out the agreement mutually acceptable to all.”