Belgrade announces Kosovo team

Vuk Jeremic (DS) and Slobodan Samardzic (DSS) will head the government delegation as Kosovo talks continue in Vienna Thursday. The two ministers, in charge of foreign affairs and Kosovo portfolios, will be the negotiating team leaders, while President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica remain co-chairmen, it was announced Monday afternoon in Belgrade. Belgrade announces Kosovo team Unofficial sources said Marko Jaksic and Goran Bogdanovic will be representing the Kosovo Serbs in the state delegation. Jeremic replaced his predecessor, former Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic, while the remaining three team members took part in previous status talks mediated by Martti Ahtisaari. Samardzic told Beta news agency that the team looks set to engage several other cabinet ministers as well as experts in some segments of the upcoming talks, and confirmed that the Serbs from Kosovo will be represented. He told the agency the August 30 meeting in Vienna will "almost certainly" take the form of a consultation, prompting Belgrade to send what he called "a political delegation". Co-chairman and team leader: Vojislav Kostunica and Slobodan Samardzic (Beta, archive) “Radicals should join Kosovo team” Earlier today, the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo (SNV) said they wanted Tomislav Nikolic to become a member of the Kosovo team. The SNV called for the urgent establishment of a team for the upcoming Kosovo status negotiations that would include Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy president, Tomislav Nikolic, as co-chairman. “Representatives of all parliamentary parties that respect the Serbian Constitution should be made part of negotiations,” SNV leader Milan Ivanovic told a press conference on Monday. Nonetheless, Radicals had earlier said they had no desire whatsoever to enter the team. According to still unconfirmed information, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic will lead the delegation traveling to Vienna on August 30 for what is believed to be a consultative meeting with the Contact Group Troika, aimed at making arrangements for direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina.

Belgrade announces Kosovo team

Unofficial sources said Marko Jakšić and Goran Bogdanović will be representing the Kosovo Serbs in the state delegation.

Jeremić replaced his predecessor, former Foreign Minister Vuk Drašković, while the remaining three team members took part in previous status talks mediated by Martti Ahtisaari.

Samardžić told Beta news agency that the team looks set to engage several other cabinet ministers as well as experts in some segments of the upcoming talks, and confirmed that the Serbs from Kosovo will be represented.

He told the agency the August 30 meeting in Vienna will "almost certainly" take the form of a consultation, prompting Belgrade to send what he called "a political delegation".

“Radicals should join Kosovo team”

Earlier today, the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo (SNV) said they wanted Tomislav Nikolić to become a member of the Kosovo team.

The SNV called for the urgent establishment of a team for the upcoming Kosovo status negotiations that would include Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy president, Tomislav Nikolić, as co-chairman.

“Representatives of all parliamentary parties that respect the Serbian Constitution should be made part of negotiations,” SNV leader Milan Ivanović told a press conference on Monday.

Nonetheless, Radicals had earlier said they had no desire whatsoever to enter the team.

According to still unconfirmed information, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić will lead the delegation traveling to Vienna on August 30 for what is believed to be a consultative meeting with the Contact Group Troika, aimed at making arrangements for direct talks between Belgrade and Priština.