Ischinger dismisses partition talk

EU envoy to the Contact Group Troika Wolfgang Ischinger is to arrive in Pristina Thursday for a two-day visit to the province. He is scheduled to meet with Kosovo Albanian officials, and, according to some announcements, he may visit Belgrade soon afterwards. Ischinger dismisses partition talk On the eve of his visit to Kosovo, Ischinger gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper where he dismissed suggestions that Brussels favors partitioning of the province, saying it had not been discussed and was not a realistic option. "Partition ... has not been raised by either party in the discussions," Ischinger told the UK daily. "We want the parties to make proposals that are likely to provoke a useful and constructive reaction from the other side. We are not interested in propaganda proposals," he stressed. "If there is going to be success, it will be their success. If there is going to be failure ... it will be their failure, not ours." Ischinger said failure to reach agreement would damage both Serbia's and Kosovo's aspirations for closer association with the EU, and he expressed the hope that both would realize that a deal was in their long-term interests. Rating that direct talks between the two sides would only spark contention at this time, he said he did not expect any face-to-face meetings before late September or early October. The negotiating troika, whose two other members are Russian representative Alexander Botsan-Harchenko and U.S. representative Frank Wisner, are to hold separate talks with the representatives of Belgrade and Pristina on August 30, in Vienna. Russian envoy: No deadline for Kosovo talks “Russia opposes the idea of setting a deadline for the settlement of the Kosovo problem, Russian special envoy for the Balkans,” Russia’s envoy to the international negotiating troika Alexandr Botsan-Kharchenko said. "The UN secretary general has set December 10 as a deadline for a report by the Contact Group Troika but not for the talks," the diplomat said in an interview, published in the newspaper Vremya Novostei Thursday, Interfax reported. Kharchenko also said that only a solution acceptable for both Belgrade and Pristina could be referred to the UN Security Council. "But if no compromise is found, there will be no sense in working on a draft. The Security Council would be able to pass a resolution only if it is based on a negotiated deal," the Russian diplomat said. As he said, the goal, pursued by the Troika, is to launch a direct dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. "The direct dialogue must be real, not an imitation, or it will only make tensions worse and will fail to stimulate the building of trust between the parties. This is of crucial significance. The current level of trust is very low," Kharchenko said. Austrian defense minister: Partition of Kosovo would be fatal Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos has assessed that a partition of Kosovo would be "fatal". He added that a solution for the future status of the southern Serbian province should be reached by the end of this year. "I have been in Kosovo," the minister said in an interview for the Vienna daily Die Presse, and warned that there is "fear in the province that the political system could fall apart unless the status issue is resolved", Tanjug reported.

Ischinger dismisses partition talk

On the eve of his visit to Kosovo, Ischinger gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper where he dismissed suggestions that Brussels favors partitioning of the province, saying it had not been discussed and was not a realistic option.

"Partition ... has not been raised by either party in the discussions," Ischinger told the UK daily.

"We want the parties to make proposals that are likely to provoke a useful and constructive reaction from the other side. We are not interested in propaganda proposals," he stressed.

"If there is going to be success, it will be their success. If there is going to be failure ... it will be their failure, not ours."

Ischinger said failure to reach agreement would damage both Serbia's and Kosovo's aspirations for closer association with the EU, and he expressed the hope that both would realize that a deal was in their long-term interests.

Rating that direct talks between the two sides would only spark contention at this time, he said he did not expect any face-to-face meetings before late September or early October.

The negotiating troika, whose two other members are Russian representative Alexander Botsan-Harchenko and U.S. representative Frank Wisner, are to hold separate talks with the representatives of Belgrade and Pristina on August 30, in Vienna.

Russian envoy: No deadline for Kosovo talks

“Russia opposes the idea of setting a deadline for the settlement of the Kosovo problem, Russian special envoy for the Balkans,” Russia’s envoy to the international negotiating troika Alexandr Botsan-Kharchenko said.

"The UN secretary general has set December 10 as a deadline for a report by the Contact Group Troika but not for the talks," the diplomat said in an interview, published in the newspaper Vremya Novostei Thursday, Interfax reported.

Kharchenko also said that only a solution acceptable for both Belgrade and Priština could be referred to the UN Security Council.

"But if no compromise is found, there will be no sense in working on a draft. The Security Council would be able to pass a resolution only if it is based on a negotiated deal," the Russian diplomat said.

As he said, the goal, pursued by the Troika, is to launch a direct dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

"The direct dialogue must be real, not an imitation, or it will only make tensions worse and will fail to stimulate the building of trust between the parties. This is of crucial significance. The current level of trust is very low," Kharchenko said.

Austrian defense minister: Partition of Kosovo would be fatal

Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos has assessed that a partition of Kosovo would be "fatal".

He added that a solution for the future status of the southern Serbian province should be reached by the end of this year.

"I have been in Kosovo," the minister said in an interview for the Vienna daily Die Presse, and warned that there is "fear in the province that the political system could fall apart unless the status issue is resolved", Tanjug reported.