"Serbia should accept reality of sovereign Kosovo"

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon traveled to Pristina on Monday after his meetings with officials in Belgrade. During a news conference after the meeting with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, Gordon said he informed Nikolic that the U.S. is strongly supporting "Kosovo's territorial integrity and sovereignty", and called on him to "accept the reality of a democratic and sovereign Kosovo". "Serbia should accept reality of sovereign Kosovo" Kosovo's ethnic Albanians more than four years ago unilaterally declared independence - but Serbia rejected the proclamation as illegal. The U.S. official said that he called on Serbia's representatives to "continue implementing the agreements reached so far in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue under EU auspices". Gordon said that he used the Monday meeting to extend congratulations to Jahjaga and other institutions with regard to the decision of the International Steering Committee to end supervised independence for Kosovo. He noted that this comes as a result of considerable progress Kosovo made in slightly over four years since its declaration of independence. Gordon strongly backed the commitment which Kosovo institutions expressed during his meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci in Dubrovnik, which was also reiterated at his meeting with Jahjaga on Monday, as regards the implementation of tangible activities aimed at "getting closer to the Serb community in the north". Gordon welcomed "the commitment of Kosovo institutions to the fight against corruption and organized crime". The U.S. official strongly condemned the murder of the Serb couple in the village of Talinovci, in the municipality of Urosevac. Jahjaga said that during the meeting with Gordon, she underscored that "the U.S. gave an important contribution to stability in the western Balkan region". "Kosovo supports the idea of maintaining good relations with all neighboring countries," Jahjaga said, insisting that Kosovo institutions are "fully supporting the dialogue on technical matters with Serbia". She noted that this constitutes "a contribution to creating better living conditions for the citizens in both countries and setting up closer ties between them". Jahjaga reiterated that "there can be no partition of Kosovo, nor can the (Serb) north get a special status", and added that "the only solution for northern Kosovo lies in a comprehensive plan drawn up by international diplomat Martti Ahtisaari". The Kosovo president once more condemned the crime against the Serb couple in Talinovci, pointing out that such crimes "constitute a major obstacle to the return of displaced persons which is a process Kosovo institutions support". Jahjaga meets with Gordon in Pristina on Monday (Beta) Tanjug

"Serbia should accept reality of sovereign Kosovo"

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians more than four years ago unilaterally declared independence - but Serbia rejected the proclamation as illegal.

The U.S. official said that he called on Serbia's representatives to "continue implementing the agreements reached so far in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue under EU auspices".

Gordon said that he used the Monday meeting to extend congratulations to Jahjaga and other institutions with regard to the decision of the International Steering Committee to end supervised independence for Kosovo.

He noted that this comes as a result of considerable progress Kosovo made in slightly over four years since its declaration of independence.

Gordon strongly backed the commitment which Kosovo institutions expressed during his meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci in Dubrovnik, which was also reiterated at his meeting with Jahjaga on Monday, as regards the implementation of tangible activities aimed at "getting closer to the Serb community in the north".

Gordon welcomed "the commitment of Kosovo institutions to the fight against corruption and organized crime".

The U.S. official strongly condemned the murder of the Serb couple in the village of Talinovci, in the municipality of Uroševac.

Jahjaga said that during the meeting with Gordon, she underscored that "the U.S. gave an important contribution to stability in the western Balkan region".

"Kosovo supports the idea of maintaining good relations with all neighboring countries," Jahjaga said, insisting that Kosovo institutions are "fully supporting the dialogue on technical matters with Serbia".

She noted that this constitutes "a contribution to creating better living conditions for the citizens in both countries and setting up closer ties between them".

Jahjaga reiterated that "there can be no partition of Kosovo, nor can the (Serb) north get a special status", and added that "the only solution for northern Kosovo lies in a comprehensive plan drawn up by international diplomat Martti Ahtisaari".

The Kosovo president once more condemned the crime against the Serb couple in Talinovci, pointing out that such crimes "constitute a major obstacle to the return of displaced persons which is a process Kosovo institutions support".