Dutch FM: Kosovo partition acceptable

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said Tuesday dividing up Kosovo would be an acceptable solution. "If both parties agree on it, and it is a workable solution, then division is acceptable for me, but only under the umbrella of the UN Security Council," Verhagen told Dutch public Radio 1 Tuesday while on a two-day visit to Belgrade and Pristina. Dutch FM: Kosovo partition acceptable Verhagen is the first European Union foreign minister who has said that an possible division of Kosovo into a Serb-dominated and an Albanian-dominated part is acceptable. On Thursday the EU envoy for the Kosovo talks, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, will meet with other members of theTroika comprising the European Union, United Nations and Russia seeking a durable solution to Kosovo's future. Earlier this month Ischinger indicated he would accept any compromise Belgrade and Pristina could reach on Kosovo, including dividing it up, but his comments caused a storm of criticism. "What I am trying to do is give an extra push to what the troika is trying to do: to get Serbia and Kosovo to come up with workable solutions," Verhagen told Radio 1. "The most important is that there is a solution that is supported by both parties, that is agreed to by the UN Security Council and that is workable," he added. Verhagen meets Jeremic "Both sides in the Kosovo conflict should move from their initial positions and be honest in finding a solution," said the Dutch foreign minister folowing a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic. The two ministers agreed today in Belgrade that the forthcoming talks on resolving Kosovo’s future status were important and that, at the end of the negotiations, a sustainable and mutually satisfactory solution for the Serbian province was expected. Verhagen said that Holland supported a resolution within the framework of international law and via a UN resolution which "would be sustainable in the region and would protect the Serbian national minority and cultural heritage." "We are here to help to reach and implement a solution“, said Verhagen. According to the Dutch minister, Holland supports Serbia on its way to European integration. He added that he expected Belgrade to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) soon, and that he envisaged good cooperation with the Hague Tribunal in order for the wanted fugitives, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, to be brought to justice. Jeremic repeated the government’s position on the Kosovo status problem and European integration, adding that Belgrade "will do everything in its power to reach a mutually satisfactory solution“ for Kosovo. "The central and strategic priority is full Serbian membership in the EU“, he stressed, expressing the conviction that "Serbian admission to EU will be accelerated,“ after establishment of full cooperation with the Hague. He went on to say that the conversation topics had been bilateral ties- especially economic - and added that the signing of an agreement on mutual cooperation and support between the two governments was expected tomorrow. After a working breakfast with Jeremic, Verhagen will, during the course of the day, meet Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and President Boris Tadic. The Dutch foreign minister leaves for Kosovo this afternoon, where he is to meet with the head of UNMIK Joachim Ruecker, as well as with Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku and President Fatmir Sejdiu. Maxime Verhagen, Vuk Jeremic in Belgrade (FoNet)

Dutch FM: Kosovo partition acceptable

Verhagen is the first European Union foreign minister who has said that an possible division of Kosovo into a Serb-dominated and an Albanian-dominated part is acceptable.

On Thursday the EU envoy for the Kosovo talks, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, will meet with other members of theTroika comprising the European Union, United Nations and Russia seeking a durable solution to Kosovo's future.

Earlier this month Ischinger indicated he would accept any compromise Belgrade and Priština could reach on Kosovo, including dividing it up, but his comments caused a storm of criticism.

"What I am trying to do is give an extra push to what the troika is trying to do: to get Serbia and Kosovo to come up with workable solutions," Verhagen told Radio 1.

"The most important is that there is a solution that is supported by both parties, that is agreed to by the UN Security Council and that is workable," he added.

Verhagen meets Jeremić

"Both sides in the Kosovo conflict should move from their initial positions and be honest in finding a solution," said the Dutch foreign minister folowing a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremić.

The two ministers agreed today in Belgrade that the forthcoming talks on resolving Kosovo’s future status were important and that, at the end of the negotiations, a sustainable and mutually satisfactory solution for the Serbian province was expected.

Verhagen said that Holland supported a resolution within the framework of international law and via a UN resolution which "would be sustainable in the region and would protect the Serbian national minority and cultural heritage."

"We are here to help to reach and implement a solution“, said Verhagen.

According to the Dutch minister, Holland supports Serbia on its way to European integration.

He added that he expected Belgrade to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) soon, and that he envisaged good cooperation with the Hague Tribunal in order for the wanted fugitives, Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, to be brought to justice.

Jeremić repeated the government’s position on the Kosovo status problem and European integration, adding that Belgrade "will do everything in its power to reach a mutually satisfactory solution“ for Kosovo.

"The central and strategic priority is full Serbian membership in the EU“, he stressed, expressing the conviction that "Serbian admission to EU will be accelerated,“ after establishment of full cooperation with the Hague.

He went on to say that the conversation topics had been bilateral ties- especially economic - and added that the signing of an agreement on mutual cooperation and support between the two governments was expected tomorrow.

After a working breakfast with Jeremić, Verhagen will, during the course of the day, meet Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and President Boris Tadić.

The Dutch foreign minister leaves for Kosovo this afternoon, where he is to meet with the head of UNMIK Joachim Ruecker, as well as with Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku and President Fatmir Sejdiu.