Brussels encourages Kosovo talks

The European Union wants “all efforts” to be put into securing a status solution via negotiations. “Brussels fully supports the process led under the auspices of the Contact Group mediating Troika,” reads a document prepared for the session of EU member-state foreign ministers due to take place on Monday in Luxembourg. Brussels encourages Kosovo talks The document also says that the Troika-mediated process will conclude on December 10, when the Contact Group is to submit its report to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. With that in mind, the paper adds, the EU Council of Ministers is calling on Belgrade and Pristina to engage in negotiations “constructively, bravely and in the spirit of compromise.” European ministers are expected to ask the two sides to put all possible efforts into securing a solution for the future status of the province through the negotiating process. Beta’s sources in the EU say that the meeting of ministers will look into the ongoing process and take into account what might result from the new direct meeting between Belgrade and Pristina scheduled to take place on October 15. The document also says that the majority of the 27 EU states, particularly those within the European Commission, sees an agreed-on status solution as the preferred option, and feels that the negotiating process must give Kosovo “a sufficient amount of political and legal clarity.” State Department : Progress made in Kosovo talks The U.S. feels certain progress has been made in the talks between the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina. However, should the talks between the two sides fail to bring any results, Washington will advocate implementation of the plan drafted by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. “It is important to point out that certain progress has been made during the talks,” State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. “I cannot foresee what the outcome will be, but what we want is for people to focus on these negotiations, so that we can see whether it is possible to find an acceptable solution,” Casey said. “At this point, we can freely say that no agreement has been reached,” the spokesman added. “However, the talks are not over and we will continue to work on the issue, and we hope that it will be possible to move the process forward and get to a clearer understanding, clearer agreements between the parties,” he concluded. The statement was made just a few hours before the beginning of the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Moscow, where top officials will discuss the Kosovo issue, the plan on the deployment of an anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and a new package of sanctions against Iran.

Brussels encourages Kosovo talks

The document also says that the Troika-mediated process will conclude on December 10, when the Contact Group is to submit its report to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

With that in mind, the paper adds, the EU Council of Ministers is calling on Belgrade and Priština to engage in negotiations “constructively, bravely and in the spirit of compromise.”

European ministers are expected to ask the two sides to put all possible efforts into securing a solution for the future status of the province through the negotiating process.

Beta’s sources in the EU say that the meeting of ministers will look into the ongoing process and take into account what might result from the new direct meeting between Belgrade and Priština scheduled to take place on October 15.

The document also says that the majority of the 27 EU states, particularly those within the European Commission, sees an agreed-on status solution as the preferred option, and feels that the negotiating process must give Kosovo “a sufficient amount of political and legal clarity.”

State Department : Progress made in Kosovo talks

The U.S. feels certain progress has been made in the talks between the authorities in Belgrade and Priština. However, should the talks between the two sides fail to bring any results, Washington will advocate implementation of the plan drafted by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.

“It is important to point out that certain progress has been made during the talks,” State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

“I cannot foresee what the outcome will be, but what we want is for people to focus on these negotiations, so that we can see whether it is possible to find an acceptable solution,” Casey said.

“At this point, we can freely say that no agreement has been reached,” the spokesman added.

“However, the talks are not over and we will continue to work on the issue, and we hope that it will be possible to move the process forward and get to a clearer understanding, clearer agreements between the parties,” he concluded.

The statement was made just a few hours before the beginning of the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Moscow, where top officials will discuss the Kosovo issue, the plan on the deployment of an anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and a new package of sanctions against Iran.