Southern EU member-state foreign ministers to discuss Kosovo

Dimitrij Rupel is in Cyprus where he will address an informal gathering of ministers on Kosovo. The Slovenian foreign minister, who also currently holds the post of president of the EU’s General Affairs and External Relations Council, is in Cyprus for a two-day informal meeting of foreign ministers from the EU’s Mediterranean member-states. Southern EU member-state foreign ministers to discuss Kosovo One of the meeting’s central themes will be Kosovo’s future status. Rupel discussed the samer matter during his visit to Holland yesterday, where he went in a failed bid to convince his Dutch counterpart to withdraw his opposition to Serbia signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The Dutch continue to insist on Ratko Mladic’s extradition to the Hague before giving the thumbs up to Serbia signing the agreement. “Much now depends on Serbia, who can change the situation from black to white, there’s still quite a bit that can be done,“ he said, according to Slovenian media. At the end of his visit, Rupel said that there were still reservations over Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s comments over sending an EU mission to Kosovo and signing the SAA. The Slovenian foreign minister said that progress had been made, but that the system was complicated and that the Dutch parliament played an important role. In a statement to Slovenian media in The Hague, Dutch MP Han Ten Broeke said that Mladic had to be brought to justice. “We have to see Mladic in the Hague, in prison. That’s the first thing that has to be taken care of,“ he said, adding that he hoped that Rupel would understand that it was vital for the Dutch parliament that Serbia met all its obligations. Ten Broeke explained that meeting that condition opened the door to an agreement over Kosovo, saying that he hoped an agreement would be reached by March, most probably in line with the Ahtisaari Plan for supervised independence. “All roads lead to Ahtisaari,“ said the Dutch MP, adding that in Kosovo’s case Holland would not be problematic, while both the Dutch and Slovenian governments would “press“ for EU unity. He said that three EU member-states had a problem with Kosovo independence, and that in resolving the Kosovo crisis, the EU had to present a united front, reported Slovenian media. After the meeting in Cyprus, Rupel will host another informal get-together at Brdo pri Kranju with German, British, Italian and French foreign ministers. The meeting of EU Contact Group members will also be attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU High Representative Javier Solana, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry has officially announced. According to Slovenian media, the subject of the meeting is expected to be Kosovo and the EU’s proposed civil mission to the province. Dimitrij Rupel (Beta, archive)

Southern EU member-state foreign ministers to discuss Kosovo

One of the meeting’s central themes will be Kosovo’s future status.

Rupel discussed the samer matter during his visit to Holland yesterday, where he went in a failed bid to convince his Dutch counterpart to withdraw his opposition to Serbia signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The Dutch continue to insist on Ratko Mladić’s extradition to the Hague before giving the thumbs up to Serbia signing the agreement.

“Much now depends on Serbia, who can change the situation from black to white, there’s still quite a bit that can be done,“ he said, according to Slovenian media. At the end of his visit, Rupel said that there were still reservations over Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s comments over sending an EU mission to Kosovo and signing the SAA.

The Slovenian foreign minister said that progress had been made, but that the system was complicated and that the Dutch parliament played an important role.

In a statement to Slovenian media in The Hague, Dutch MP Han Ten Broeke said that Mladić had to be brought to justice. “We have to see Mladić in the Hague, in prison. That’s the first thing that has to be taken care of,“ he said, adding that he hoped that Rupel would understand that it was vital for the Dutch parliament that Serbia met all its obligations.

Ten Broeke explained that meeting that condition opened the door to an agreement over Kosovo, saying that he hoped an agreement would be reached by March, most probably in line with the Ahtisaari Plan for supervised independence.

“All roads lead to Ahtisaari,“ said the Dutch MP, adding that in Kosovo’s case Holland would not be problematic, while both the Dutch and Slovenian governments would “press“ for EU unity.

He said that three EU member-states had a problem with Kosovo independence, and that in resolving the Kosovo crisis, the EU had to present a united front, reported Slovenian media.

After the meeting in Cyprus, Rupel will host another informal get-together at Brdo pri Kranju with German, British, Italian and French foreign ministers.

The meeting of EU Contact Group members will also be attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU High Representative Javier Solana, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry has officially announced.

According to Slovenian media, the subject of the meeting is expected to be Kosovo and the EU’s proposed civil mission to the province.