Kosovo talks end, new meeting in Vienna

The Contact Group Troika announced in Brussels Sunday a new round of Kosovo talks for October 22 in Vienna. The negotiating process on the province's future status will intensify, especially after the next meeting, in order to find a joint platform for a possible solution, the diplomats said after today's direct negotiations in Brussels. Kosovo talks end, new meeting in Vienna A statement released by the Troika said that, at the Sunday meeting, Belgrade and Pristina "clarified their respective proposals." Belgrade additionally explained its offer of autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia, while Pristina explained its proposal on "friendship and cooperation between two independent states" that would include "observation of minority rights." The Troika said that both sides asked questions and responded to each other's proposals. Both sides stressed that they would continue with the obligations they had undertaken in Vienna and New York - that they would refrain from provocative moves or statements that might threaten security in the region and the Troika-led process, the statement said. The EU, Russian and U.S. mediators, Wolfgang Ischinger, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, and Frank Wisner, expect that all communities will participate in elections in Kosovo on November 17, in a peaceful atmosphere. The Troika reminded both sides that the current process will conclude with a Contact Group report to the UN secretary-general due to be submitted by December 10, the statement said. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana said that the two sides today in Brussels were "fully engaged in finding a solution." Solana said he "spent some time" with the Belgrade and Pristina delegations, and "encouraged them on behalf of the European Union to continue." He added that he saw "the smiles he had not seen for a long time on the negotiators' faces." But Solana added that it was "still too early to talk about the outcome of the negotiations." Unlike the New York round, when Belgrade was represented by President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, in Brussels the team was led by Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Ahead of today's round, EU envoy to The Contact Group Troika Wolfgang Ischinger urged acceletation of the negotiating process. "There is quite a distance to be covered if really we want to reach an agreement," warned Ischinger. "After the end of what I would call an exploratory period, this is a decisive phase," said the envoy. When asked what could be achieved at the talks, Ischinger said: "Movement forward, and we will strongly encourage it if we don't see that happen." "What we are not going to do is just sit there and waste time," he said, although he acknowledged that it "would not be a realistic expectation" to hope for an agreement to be reached on Sunday. The U.S. and Russian envoys made no comment as they went into a meeting of the troika. The Belgrade and Pristina officials were expected to join them at around 11.30 GMT for around two and a half hours of talks. "There is organized a detailed power point presentation by both sides. We expect presentations, which can be lengthy and then exchanges," an EU official explained earlier. Samardzic, Jeremic, during today's direct Kosovo talks (FoNet) Pristina wants friendship agreement The Pristina team in Brussels set off yesterday afternoon, and was led by President Fatmir Sejdiju and Prime Minister Agim Ceku. Judging by the team’s comments prior to departure for the Belgian capital, a feeling of pessimism in Pristina was palpable, not only vis-a-vis today’s talks, but for the remaining negotiating process that will end on December 10. Sejdiu said that his team would continue to push their proposal for an agreement on reconciliation and friendship between Kosovo and Serbia as two independent countries. “We will continue with our concept which is completely lawful and we will not abandon it. Our main priority is to speed up the process so that on December 10, as envisaged, the report on negotiations can be submitted,” said Sejdiu. Ceku stated that the negotiating process had entered a phase where further progress was entirely dependent on the Serbian side. “It depends on their political readiness and intellectual bravery to accept the reality that there is no solution for Kosovo other than independence,” said Ceku. Saturday, Pristina daily Zeri reported that the Kosovo status decision "will likely be made outside the UN." Quoting diplomatic sources, the newpaper said that Western forces did not hope that Moscow would change its stand on Kosovo. "The chances that Russia will use its veto are growing more realistic. This is why Western countries are not too willing to test their chances at the UN Security Council," unidentified diplomats told Zeri. Zeri said that Russia's veto would create major difficulties because it would prevent UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from doing anything towards finalizing the UN Mission in Kosovo and replacing UNMIK with an EU mission.

Kosovo talks end, new meeting in Vienna

A statement released by the Troika said that, at the Sunday meeting, Belgrade and Priština "clarified their respective proposals."

Belgrade additionally explained its offer of autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia, while Priština explained its proposal on "friendship and cooperation between two independent states" that would include "observation of minority rights."

The Troika said that both sides asked questions and responded to each other's proposals.

Both sides stressed that they would continue with the obligations they had undertaken in Vienna and New York - that they would refrain from provocative moves or statements that might threaten security in the region and the Troika-led process, the statement said.

The EU, Russian and U.S. mediators, Wolfgang Ischinger, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, and Frank Wisner, expect that all communities will participate in elections in Kosovo on November 17, in a peaceful atmosphere.

The Troika reminded both sides that the current process will conclude with a Contact Group report to the UN secretary-general due to be submitted by December 10, the statement said.

EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana said that the two sides today in Brussels were "fully engaged in finding a solution."

Solana said he "spent some time" with the Belgrade and Priština delegations, and "encouraged them on behalf of the European Union to continue."

He added that he saw "the smiles he had not seen for a long time on the negotiators' faces."

But Solana added that it was "still too early to talk about the outcome of the negotiations."

Unlike the New York round, when Belgrade was represented by President Boris Tadić and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, in Brussels the team was led by Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić.

Ahead of today's round, EU envoy to The Contact Group Troika Wolfgang Ischinger urged acceletation of the negotiating process.

"There is quite a distance to be covered if really we want to reach an agreement," warned Ischinger.

"After the end of what I would call an exploratory period, this is a decisive phase," said the envoy.

When asked what could be achieved at the talks, Ischinger said: "Movement forward, and we will strongly encourage it if we don't see that happen."

"What we are not going to do is just sit there and waste time," he said, although he acknowledged that it "would not be a realistic expectation" to hope for an agreement to be reached on Sunday.

The U.S. and Russian envoys made no comment as they went into a meeting of the troika. The Belgrade and Priština officials were expected to join them at around 11.30 GMT for around two and a half hours of talks.

"There is organized a detailed power point presentation by both sides. We expect presentations, which can be lengthy and then exchanges," an EU official explained earlier.

Priština wants friendship agreement

The Priština team in Brussels set off yesterday afternoon, and was led by President Fatmir Sejdiju and Prime Minister Agim Ceku.

Judging by the team’s comments prior to departure for the Belgian capital, a feeling of pessimism in Priština was palpable, not only vis-a-vis today’s talks, but for the remaining negotiating process that will end on December 10.

Sejdiu said that his team would continue to push their proposal for an agreement on reconciliation and friendship between Kosovo and Serbia as two independent countries.

“We will continue with our concept which is completely lawful and we will not abandon it. Our main priority is to speed up the process so that on December 10, as envisaged, the report on negotiations can be submitted,” said Sejdiu.

Ceku stated that the negotiating process had entered a phase where further progress was entirely dependent on the Serbian side. “It depends on their political readiness and intellectual bravery to accept the reality that there is no solution for Kosovo other than independence,” said Ceku.

Saturday, Priština daily Zeri reported that the Kosovo status decision "will likely be made outside the UN."

Quoting diplomatic sources, the newpaper said that Western forces did not hope that Moscow would change its stand on Kosovo.

"The chances that Russia will use its veto are growing more realistic. This is why Western countries are not too willing to test their chances at the UN Security Council," unidentified diplomats told Zeri.

Zeri said that Russia's veto would create major difficulties because it would prevent UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from doing anything towards finalizing the UN Mission in Kosovo and replacing UNMIK with an EU mission.