State Dept.: "Neutral status" in line with U.S. policy

Ischinger’s “neutral status” plan for Kosovo is in line with U.S. policy, officials in Washington say. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news conference yesterday that the EU representative to the Contact Group mediating Troika had informed U.S. officials on the progress of negotiations, and had put forward proposals for further measures. State Dept.: "Neutral status" in line with U.S. policy McCormack called the proposals interesting and said that Ischinger would test them out to see what sort of reception they get. “We’ve made our position very clear. President George W. Bush has expressed it. Believe me, it hasn’t changed. And the Troika understands it and fully appreciates it, and there really are no differences in opinion effectively,” said McCormack, adding that he had discussed Ischinger’s visit with Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried. Asked whether Ischinger’s idea to test out proposals had the backing of Moscow and Brussels, the spokesman said that the EU representative’s proposals were in line with U.S. policy on Kosovo. He said that he did not know Moscow’s position on the matter. Nor did McCormack wish to comment on Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku’s statement to the Wall Street Journal that the Kosovo Albanians would declare independence, and reiterated Washington’s official position. Asked about the potential negative consequences of Kosovo independence on EU political unity, as certain leading officials in Washington warned of on November 13, the spokesman said that that was an internal matter for the EU. “As far as any evaluation of Kosovo’s effects on EU policy is concerned, you would be better off asking EU members. We work very closely with the EU and I think that the U.S. and the EU really do share a vision of the way this issue should go,” he said. McCormack added that Ischinger had not spoken to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during his visit to Washington. Wolfgang Ischinger (FoNet, archive)

State Dept.: "Neutral status" in line with U.S. policy

McCormack called the proposals interesting and said that Ischinger would test them out to see what sort of reception they get.

“We’ve made our position very clear. President George W. Bush has expressed it. Believe me, it hasn’t changed. And the Troika understands it and fully appreciates it, and there really are no differences in opinion effectively,” said McCormack, adding that he had discussed Ischinger’s visit with Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried.

Asked whether Ischinger’s idea to test out proposals had the backing of Moscow and Brussels, the spokesman said that the EU representative’s proposals were in line with U.S. policy on Kosovo.

He said that he did not know Moscow’s position on the matter.

Nor did McCormack wish to comment on Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku’s statement to the Wall Street Journal that the Kosovo Albanians would declare independence, and reiterated Washington’s official position.

Asked about the potential negative consequences of Kosovo independence on EU political unity, as certain leading officials in Washington warned of on November 13, the spokesman said that that was an internal matter for the EU.

“As far as any evaluation of Kosovo’s effects on EU policy is concerned, you would be better off asking EU members. We work very closely with the EU and I think that the U.S. and the EU really do share a vision of the way this issue should go,” he said.

McCormack added that Ischinger had not spoken to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during his visit to Washington.