Belgrade wants Priština represented “asymmetrically”

Serbian MFA Political Director Borko Stefanovic today addressed the issue of Serbia's participation in the EU-Western Balkans conference in Sajarevo. Stefanovic said that Belgrade will take part in the gathering planned for June if its organizers ensure “asymmetric elements for the Pristina (Kosovo Albanian) delegation”, along with observance of UNSCR 1244. Belgrade wants Pristina represented “asymmetrically” Belgrade expects this to happen, said he, adding that such outcome would be possible if the so-called Gymnich format were used for the conference. Visiting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in Pristina late on Wednesday that both parties had agreed to go to Sarajevo under that formula – which would mean no state names or symbols on display. “A delegation of the interim authorities of Kosovo, if it goes to Sarajevo, and we hope they will, will be asymmetrical by the very fact they will be escorted by the UNMIK chief, who would speak before the delegation of the interim institutions,” said Stefanovic. An “added element of asymmetry”, according to him, would be provided with the presence of representatives of other international organizations, that would “additionally stress the fact that not only representatives of states were seated at the table”. “At this point, it is not certain that a delegation of the interim organs in Pristina will go to Sarajevo, but we are encouraged by the first signals, and by the confirmation of Resolution 1244 and guarantees of asymmetric presence of the delegation from Kosovo,” the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official was quotes as saying. “Our position is that Kosovo cannot participate anywhere without UNMIK, since that would violate Resolution 1244,” stated Stefanovic. Unlike the recent conference in Slovenia which Belgrade did not attend, this one will ensure asymmetric participation of Pristina, he concluded. Meanwhile in Pristina today, Kosovo Albanian president's spokesman Dzavit Beciri said that “Kosovo will accept to participate in the summit if all countries are represented on an equal footing”. Commenting on the possibility that UNMIK chief or EU representatives in Kosovo might also take part in the Sarajevo conference, Beciri said that “only representatives of Kosovo's institutions can speak on behalf of Kosovo and its institutions”. Borko Stefanovic (Tanjug, file) “Negotiations ongoing” Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Council President Sonja Liht says that details regarding the planned June summit in Sarajevo still have not been agreed. According to her, it still has not been resolved who will be in the delegations and whether representatives of international organizations will sit at the same table. Officials from Belgrade and Pristina could for the first time after the Kosovo Albanian UDI sit at the same table in June in Sarajevo at the conference to be organized by the Spanish EU presidency. The participants should be represented by their names instead of the names of the countries, which is described as the Gymnich format of meetings. Serbia did not attend a recent regional conference in Slovenia insisting that Pristina's delegation can only take part in line with UNSCR 1244. This solution was also mentioned ahead of that conference, but only just ahead of its start. “The conference in Brdo Near Kranj was called by the hosts without prior consultations with participants about how and if the conference should be held at all. This conference is organized by the EU. It’s obvious that European officials have actually started making arrangements with all parties in order to achieve maximum success. I won’t say that Slovenians did not want the meeting in Brdo to succeed, but I’m afraid that they rushed both the date and everything else a little bit. The context is completely different and the only similarity is in fact that there will be a regional gathering,” Liht said. “I don’t believe that we are suffering any losses, but it is important that nobody feels that there are losses, but also that nobody feels like the only winner in these forms either. You know, somebody may think that it’s only about form, of course it’s not just about form. I personally think that we lose if we exclude ourselves from such meetings. Everything else, both difficult agreements and sometimes some unpleasant lump which will be swallowed, is less important than being self-isolated,” the foreign policy council president was quoted as saying in Belgrade today. And while the opposition criticized the announcements that a formula was found for the Sarajevo summit, Balkan Trust for Democracy Director Ivan Vejvoda thinks that Belgrade and Pristina's positions show that they have agreed to participate but that they have not given up on their principled positions.

Belgrade wants Priština represented “asymmetrically”

Belgrade expects this to happen, said he, adding that such outcome would be possible if the so-called Gymnich format were used for the conference.

Visiting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in Priština late on Wednesday that both parties had agreed to go to Sarajevo under that formula – which would mean no state names or symbols on display.

“A delegation of the interim authorities of Kosovo, if it goes to Sarajevo, and we hope they will, will be asymmetrical by the very fact they will be escorted by the UNMIK chief, who would speak before the delegation of the interim institutions,” said Stefanović.

An “added element of asymmetry”, according to him, would be provided with the presence of representatives of other international organizations, that would “additionally stress the fact that not only representatives of states were seated at the table”.

“At this point, it is not certain that a delegation of the interim organs in Priština will go to Sarajevo, but we are encouraged by the first signals, and by the confirmation of Resolution 1244 and guarantees of asymmetric presence of the delegation from Kosovo,” the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official was quotes as saying.

“Our position is that Kosovo cannot participate anywhere without UNMIK, since that would violate Resolution 1244,” stated Stefanović.

Unlike the recent conference in Slovenia which Belgrade did not attend, this one will ensure asymmetric participation of Priština, he concluded.

Meanwhile in Priština today, Kosovo Albanian president's spokesman Dzavit Beciri said that “Kosovo will accept to participate in the summit if all countries are represented on an equal footing”.

Commenting on the possibility that UNMIK chief or EU representatives in Kosovo might also take part in the Sarajevo conference, Beciri said that “only representatives of Kosovo's institutions can speak on behalf of Kosovo and its institutions”.

“Negotiations ongoing”

Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Council President Sonja Liht says that details regarding the planned June summit in Sarajevo still have not been agreed.

According to her, it still has not been resolved who will be in the delegations and whether representatives of international organizations will sit at the same table.

Officials from Belgrade and Priština could for the first time after the Kosovo Albanian UDI sit at the same table in June in Sarajevo at the conference to be organized by the Spanish EU presidency.

The participants should be represented by their names instead of the names of the countries, which is described as the Gymnich format of meetings.

Serbia did not attend a recent regional conference in Slovenia insisting that Priština's delegation can only take part in line with UNSCR 1244. This solution was also mentioned ahead of that conference, but only just ahead of its start.

“The conference in Brdo Near Kranj was called by the hosts without prior consultations with participants about how and if the conference should be held at all. This conference is organized by the EU. It’s obvious that European officials have actually started making arrangements with all parties in order to achieve maximum success. I won’t say that Slovenians did not want the meeting in Brdo to succeed, but I’m afraid that they rushed both the date and everything else a little bit. The context is completely different and the only similarity is in fact that there will be a regional gathering,” Liht said.

“I don’t believe that we are suffering any losses, but it is important that nobody feels that there are losses, but also that nobody feels like the only winner in these forms either. You know, somebody may think that it’s only about form, of course it’s not just about form. I personally think that we lose if we exclude ourselves from such meetings. Everything else, both difficult agreements and sometimes some unpleasant lump which will be swallowed, is less important than being self-isolated,” the foreign policy council president was quoted as saying in Belgrade today.

And while the opposition criticized the announcements that a formula was found for the Sarajevo summit, Balkan Trust for Democracy Director Ivan Vejvoda thinks that Belgrade and Priština's positions show that they have agreed to participate but that they have not given up on their principled positions.