Samardžić hopes for "realistic" Troika report

The Contact Group Troika of envoys will visit Belgrade and Pristina tomorrow. The visit comes in the wake of the last round of Kosovo talks Wolfgang Ischinger, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko and Frank Wisner mediated, and ahead of a report they are due to submit to the UN secretary-general. Samardzic hopes for "realistic" Troika report Sunday, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic said that he expects the mediators to present "only a framework" of its report on Monday, with its contents "still open to debate." "The most important thing is that the report is realistic, that it genuinely reflects what took place during the past three months in Vienna, Brussels, London and New York. "It should show that Serbia came out with many good proposals, that it was flexible and that, on the other hand, the ethnic Albanian side only waited for the negotiations to end, that it distanced itself from the main topic, spoke only about some post status issues and refused to discuss the Serbian proposal," Samardzic told Tanjug. The negotiations on the future status of the province ended in Austria Wednesday with no breakthrough. The Troika will introduce the teams in Belgrade and Pristina with the basic elements of their report. The diplomats will then present the document to the Contact Group member countries in a meeting in Vienna planned for December 9. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is meanwhile waiting for the report on the outcome of the four months of talks, his spokeswoman Michele Montas said late this week. UN officials told Tanjug that the date for the Troika report to be submitted could be moved forward to December 7, due to Ban Ki-Moon's previous engagements. A UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo, set to debate the Troika paper, will be scheduled either for December 19 or 21, the officials stated. Serbia will be represented at the session in New York by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. "This is where we expect a real political debate, which will most certainly focus on the issue of the foundations and principles on which the modern world order is based," Samardzic said today. He expects the United States to "continue exerting strong pressure of the European Union", adding that the EU should "finally come out with its historic and dignified stand on open issues, especially those taking place in its territory." According to Samardzic, "an atmosphere has been created that the Troika would end its mandate by December 10," adding that "it would be completely natural for the negotiations to continue." "However, so far there have been no indications about this, because the western countries want to resolve this difficult problem speedily. The U.S. is primarily insisting on speed," Samardzic pointed out. This is why, he said, "the climate and atmosphere for continued talks have not been established." Samardzic, Jeremic during the Baden round of talks (FoNet)

Samardžić hopes for "realistic" Troika report

Sunday, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić said that he expects the mediators to present "only a framework" of its report on Monday, with its contents "still open to debate."

"The most important thing is that the report is realistic, that it genuinely reflects what took place during the past three months in Vienna, Brussels, London and New York.

"It should show that Serbia came out with many good proposals, that it was flexible and that, on the other hand, the ethnic Albanian side only waited for the negotiations to end, that it distanced itself from the main topic, spoke only about some post status issues and refused to discuss the Serbian proposal," Samardžić told Tanjug.

The negotiations on the future status of the province ended in Austria Wednesday with no breakthrough.

The Troika will introduce the teams in Belgrade and Priština with the basic elements of their report. The diplomats will then present the document to the Contact Group member countries in a meeting in Vienna planned for December 9.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is meanwhile waiting for the report on the outcome of the four months of talks, his spokeswoman Michele Montas said late this week.

UN officials told Tanjug that the date for the Troika report to be submitted could be moved forward to December 7, due to Ban Ki-Moon's previous engagements.

A UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo, set to debate the Troika paper, will be scheduled either for December 19 or 21, the officials stated.

Serbia will be represented at the session in New York by Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić.

"This is where we expect a real political debate, which will most certainly focus on the issue of the foundations and principles on which the modern world order is based," Samardžić said today.

He expects the United States to "continue exerting strong pressure of the European Union", adding that the EU should "finally come out with its historic and dignified stand on open issues, especially those taking place in its territory."

According to Samardžić, "an atmosphere has been created that the Troika would end its mandate by December 10," adding that "it would be completely natural for the negotiations to continue."

"However, so far there have been no indications about this, because the western countries want to resolve this difficult problem speedily. The U.S. is primarily insisting on speed," Samardžić pointed out.

This is why, he said, "the climate and atmosphere for continued talks have not been established."