Albanians reject latest Belgrade offer

Both Belgrade and Pristina believe, on the second day of the Baden meetings, that the talks have failed. Both parties remain entrenched in their previous positions, while only the Russian envoy to the Contact Group Troika, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, has announced that Russia favors more talks after December 10. Albanians reject latest Belgrade offer Additionally, the delegation representing the Kosovo Albanians has today rejected official Belgrade's proposal for the future Kosovo status, introduced by President Boris Tadic. Speaking in Baden today, he said that Serbia was offering Kosovo the majority of powers and symbols that are normally reserved only for sovereign countries. In his address at the morning joint meeting of the Belgrade and Pristina delegations with the mediating Troika, Tadic said that Kosovo would be officially self-governing, with Belgrade's full consent, and would have access to international financial institutions and other international and regional organizations, barring the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. Kosovo would have trade and cultural representative offices abroad, its own flag, and national anthem, said Tadic. "Relations with Serbia would be normalized, thus enhancing the prospects for stability and Kosovo’s development," said Tadic, underlining that "Kosovo's integration into the network of official regional relations with Serbia would accelerate European integration." "Serbia wants to share the benefits of its relationship with the EU with Kosovo," said Tadic, appealing to the Kosovo Albanian delegation and the international community to seriously consider Belgrade's proposal. Earlier today, the EU’s representative to the mediating Troika, Wolfgang Ischinger, said that he did not expect a continuation of negotiations beyond December 10. Before the negotiations began, he told both delegations that this would be the final round and the final opportunity to reach a compromise that would be beneficial for everyone involved. “The Troika’s mandate ends on December 10, and it is not up to us to decide what will happen afterwards. The chance that the international community offered through the Troika ends on December 10 with our report,” Ischinger said. The negotiations continue today with another direct meeting between the Belgrade and Pristina delegations. According to announcements from both sides, the debate is expected to continue over Belgrade’s demands to discuss status and Pristina’s insistence on discussing the future of Kosovo and “good neighborly relations” with Serbia once independence has been proclaimed. The Belgrade team in Baden today (Tanjug) Samardzic: Albanians not interested in negotiations Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic says that the Serbian team resents the fact that the Kosovo Albanian delegation has not once agreed to discuss the province's status, reproaching the mediating Troika for not making greater efforts to make the Albanians agree to talks. After today's joint meeting in Baden, Samardzic illustrated the absence of interest on the part of the Albanian side, explaining that Belgrade had so far filed over 500 amendments to the Martti Ahtisaari plan, while the Albanians had not proposed a single amendment to Belgrade's proposal. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that the state delegation had warned of all possible consequences of unilateral moves and that they would once again point these out to the negotiating Troika at a final meeting, during the last round of the talks in Baden. The joint meeting of the Belgrade and Pristina sides with the negotiation Troika ended shortly after 1 p.m. The negotiations will resume with separate meetings between the Troika and the two delegations. Pristina: No more negotiations after December 10 Kosovo institutions do not want any further status negotiations beyond December 10, according to Pristina negotiating team member Skender Hyseni. Hyseni told reporters after a head-to-head meeting between the Belgrade and Pristina delegations that talks would continue throughout the afternoon in the form of separate meetings between the mediating Troika and the two sides, adding however that "nothing spectacular will happen." He accused Belgrade of refusing to face facts and accept that Kosovo was de facto independent and that formal recognition was just a matter of time.

Albanians reject latest Belgrade offer

Additionally, the delegation representing the Kosovo Albanians has today rejected official Belgrade's proposal for the future Kosovo status, introduced by President Boris Tadić.

Speaking in Baden today, he said that Serbia was offering Kosovo the majority of powers and symbols that are normally reserved only for sovereign countries.

In his address at the morning joint meeting of the Belgrade and Priština delegations with the mediating Troika, Tadić said that Kosovo would be officially self-governing, with Belgrade's full consent, and would have access to international financial institutions and other international and regional organizations, barring the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.

Kosovo would have trade and cultural representative offices abroad, its own flag, and national anthem, said Tadić.

"Relations with Serbia would be normalized, thus enhancing the prospects for stability and Kosovo’s development," said Tadić, underlining that "Kosovo's integration into the network of official regional relations with Serbia would accelerate European integration."

"Serbia wants to share the benefits of its relationship with the EU with Kosovo," said Tadić, appealing to the Kosovo Albanian delegation and the international community to seriously consider Belgrade's proposal.

Earlier today, the EU’s representative to the mediating Troika, Wolfgang Ischinger, said that he did not expect a continuation of negotiations beyond December 10. Before the negotiations began, he told both delegations that this would be the final round and the final opportunity to reach a compromise that would be beneficial for everyone involved.

“The Troika’s mandate ends on December 10, and it is not up to us to decide what will happen afterwards. The chance that the international community offered through the Troika ends on December 10 with our report,” Ischinger said.

The negotiations continue today with another direct meeting between the Belgrade and Priština delegations.

According to announcements from both sides, the debate is expected to continue over Belgrade’s demands to discuss status and Priština’s insistence on discussing the future of Kosovo and “good neighborly relations” with Serbia once independence has been proclaimed.

Samardžić: Albanians not interested in negotiations

Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžic says that the Serbian team resents the fact that the Kosovo Albanian delegation has not once agreed to discuss the province's status, reproaching the mediating Troika for not making greater efforts to make the Albanians agree to talks.

After today's joint meeting in Baden, Samardžic illustrated the absence of interest on the part of the Albanian side, explaining that Belgrade had so far filed over 500 amendments to the Martti Ahtisaari plan, while the Albanians had not proposed a single amendment to Belgrade's proposal.

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić said that the state delegation had warned of all possible consequences of unilateral moves and that they would once again point these out to the negotiating Troika at a final meeting, during the last round of the talks in Baden.

The joint meeting of the Belgrade and Priština sides with the negotiation Troika ended shortly after 1 p.m.

The negotiations will resume with separate meetings between the Troika and the two delegations.

Priština: No more negotiations after December 10

Kosovo institutions do not want any further status negotiations beyond December 10, according to Priština negotiating team member Skender Hyseni.

Hyseni told reporters after a head-to-head meeting between the Belgrade and Priština delegations that talks would continue throughout the afternoon in the form of separate meetings between the mediating Troika and the two sides, adding however that "nothing spectacular will happen."

He accused Belgrade of refusing to face facts and accept that Kosovo was de facto independent and that formal recognition was just a matter of time.