Ahtisaari seeks patience on Kosovo

UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari called on Monday for patience over the Kosovo status problem. The appeal, reported by AFP, comes amid what the agency calls "a stalemate over negotiations on the future status of the UN-run province ahead of a looming deadline." Ahtisaari seeks patience on Kosovo "Let us be patient now and let the Troika negotiate," said the former president of Finland as officials from Kosovo and Serbia met with the troika of EU, Russian and U.S. mediators in Vienna Monday. Ahtisaari, after lengthy negotiations as representative of the UN Secretary General, presented a plan in early 2007 calling for independence under international supervision for Kosovo. Serbia, which is only prepared to grant autonomy to the region, rejected Ahtisaari's plan while Russia threatened to veto any move in the UN Security Council to award independence. In the face of the Moscow veto, the United States and its European allies abandoned plans to secure independence through the Security Council and handed the issue back to a six-nation Contact Group, consisting of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States. The issue has split the international community with Russia strongly backing Serbia and the United States pushing independence. Ahtisaari, speaking at a forum at Georgetown University in Washington on Monday, said he expected the troika to report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by the December 10 deadline. Its report would have to be translated into all the official languages and submitted to the Security Council, he said. "Let's hope the council in their wisdom will then make the necessary decision," Ahtisaari said, warning however of "the danger" if the whole issue moved out of the council. "Everyone who is in favor of UN playing an important role wants that to happen (the council to decide) but that is up to the Security Council. "Everyone knows - there has never been a vote - that the majority of the present security council members are in favor of the plan I put forward. There is no question about it. Have patience. I have," he said. "It's utter speculation to do anything else at the moment," he added. At the Vienna talks, Serbia proposed a "Hong Kong model" for Kosovo but the province's Albanian leadership rejected the idea and still pushed for independence, saying the idea was "confusing and unworkable." Martti Ahtisaari (FoNet, archive)

Ahtisaari seeks patience on Kosovo

"Let us be patient now and let the Troika negotiate," said the former president of Finland as officials from Kosovo and Serbia met with the troika of EU, Russian and U.S. mediators in Vienna Monday.

Ahtisaari, after lengthy negotiations as representative of the UN Secretary General, presented a plan in early 2007 calling for independence under international supervision for Kosovo.

Serbia, which is only prepared to grant autonomy to the region, rejected Ahtisaari's plan while Russia threatened to veto any move in the UN Security Council to award independence.

In the face of the Moscow veto, the United States and its European allies abandoned plans to secure independence through the Security Council and handed the issue back to a six-nation Contact Group, consisting of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States.

The issue has split the international community with Russia strongly backing Serbia and the United States pushing independence.

Ahtisaari, speaking at a forum at Georgetown University in Washington on Monday, said he expected the troika to report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by the December 10 deadline.

Its report would have to be translated into all the official languages and submitted to the Security Council, he said.

"Let's hope the council in their wisdom will then make the necessary decision," Ahtisaari said, warning however of "the danger" if the whole issue moved out of the council.

"Everyone who is in favor of UN playing an important role wants that to happen (the council to decide) but that is up to the Security Council.

"Everyone knows - there has never been a vote - that the majority of the present security council members are in favor of the plan I put forward. There is no question about it. Have patience. I have," he said.

"It's utter speculation to do anything else at the moment," he added.

At the Vienna talks, Serbia proposed a "Hong Kong model" for Kosovo but the province's Albanian leadership rejected the idea and still pushed for independence, saying the idea was "confusing and unworkable."