"No autonomy, canton for Serbs in north"

EU's special representative to Kosovo Pieter Feith says Serbs in northern Kosovo will get neither a canton nor autonomy. "This has not been planned and I have never discussed this with the government of Kosovo. This is not the goal of the international steering group and not a part of our plan." "No autonomy, canton for Serbs in north" "Our agenda gives Serbs special links, which includes a transfer of funds from Belgrade, if necessary," the Dutch diplomat told the Albanian language daily Koha Ditore. Feith also added that "this can only be done with the full respect of the Kosovo government and the territorial integrity of Kosovo". Kosovo Serbs have rejected the ethnic Albanians' declaration of unilateral independence and remain loyal to Belgrade. They also reject the EU mission, EULEX, which Feith is heading, as illegal. Serbia has backing from Moscow for this. They say that it remains unclear how the mission will deploy and gain jurisdiction without violating valid UN Resolution 1244 – read more about it here. In Pristina yesterday, Feith said the Serbs can have only transparent ties with Belgrade as under the Ahtisaari plan. "You will see how we will realize this, because I can't give you all the details now," he told the newspaper. "Serbs in the north and their leaders are encouraged to accept the reality," Feith added. He also spoke about his own sense of reality and said that although he "favors contacts with Belgrade" in his work, he does not think he is "very popular there now". The EU has insisted that its support for the unilateral declaration of independence and the decision to send a mission to the province was motivated by a desire to stabilize the region. Today, Feith believes that it is the "violence and statements from some ministers in the Serbian government" that are destabilizing it. He also announced that "as the EU special representative", he will allow for the formation of the province's ministry of foreign affairs. Feith announced last week that EULEX had started to take over jurisdiction from the UN mission in Kosovo, but this was later denied at the UN in New York.

"No autonomy, canton for Serbs in north"

"Our agenda gives Serbs special links, which includes a transfer of funds from Belgrade, if necessary," the Dutch diplomat told the Albanian language daily Koha Ditore.

Feith also added that "this can only be done with the full respect of the Kosovo government and the territorial integrity of Kosovo".

Kosovo Serbs have rejected the ethnic Albanians' declaration of unilateral independence and remain loyal to Belgrade. They also reject the EU mission, EULEX, which Feith is heading, as illegal.

Serbia has backing from Moscow for this. They say that it remains unclear how the mission will deploy and gain jurisdiction without violating valid UN Resolution 1244 – read more about it here.

In Priština yesterday, Feith said the Serbs can have only transparent ties with Belgrade as under the Ahtisaari plan. "You will see how we will realize this, because I can't give you all the details now," he told the newspaper.

"Serbs in the north and their leaders are encouraged to accept the reality," Feith added. He also spoke about his own sense of reality and said that although he "favors contacts with Belgrade" in his work, he does not think he is "very popular there now".

The EU has insisted that its support for the unilateral declaration of independence and the decision to send a mission to the province was motivated by a desire to stabilize the region. Today, Feith believes that it is the "violence and statements from some ministers in the Serbian government" that are destabilizing it.

He also announced that "as the EU special representative", he will allow for the formation of the province's ministry of foreign affairs.

Feith announced last week that EULEX had started to take over jurisdiction from the UN mission in Kosovo, but this was later denied at the UN in New York.