Kosovo team: Diplomatic offensive

BELGRADE The state team for Kosovo talks announced a diplomatic offensive in a meeting held in Belgrade Friday. Members of the team rejected both Martti Ahtisaari’s Kosovo status proposal and his executive report that accompanied the document, submitted to the UN recently. Kosovo team: Diplomatic offensive The meeting concluded that top state officials and the team members should continue with intensive diplomatic activity, with the goal of defending Serbia’s state interests in the province. Prime minister Vojislav Kostunica will travel to New York to relay Serbia’s position on the matter to the UN Security Council session scheduled for April 3, the meeting decided. Team member Marko Jaksic told B92 that the planned diplomatic activity would cover all sectors, and stressed that a special team would visit all the Security Council member states. “On the other hand, we will continue lobbying in the EU, since we do not believe all is lost. We see this as a decisive diplomatic battle that we believe will end favorably for Serbia,” Jaksic said. The team’s co-chairmen, prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and president Boris Tadic were present at the meeting. Foreign minister Vuk Draskovic, Kosovo Coordinating Center chairwoman Sanda Raskovic-Ivic and coordinators Leon Kojen and Slobodan Samardzic also attended. Serbia's state team for Kosovo in session (FoNet) "Consider partition" Earlier today, Nenad Djurdjevic of the Center for Non-violent Action told B92 that Belgrade had limited room for manoeuvre. “I believe that the Belgrade team can, at the moment, fall back only on Russia for support, awaiting its veto in the UN Security Council. However, I think that such a policy cannot improve Serbia’s position. The other option is to lobby for a new draft plan,” Djurdjevic said. “The state team should also consider the partition of Kosovo. In that case Serbia would hypothetically recognize independence for a part of the province." "However, the partition is a dangerous concept, particularly with regard to the interests of Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo. The idea should be regarded as a test of the country's willingness to consider independence in any form,” Djurdjevic concluded.

Kosovo team: Diplomatic offensive

The meeting concluded that top state officials and the team members should continue with intensive diplomatic activity, with the goal of defending Serbia’s state interests in the province.

Prime minister Vojislav Koštunica will travel to New York to relay Serbia’s position on the matter to the UN Security Council session scheduled for April 3, the meeting decided.

Team member Marko Jakšić told B92 that the planned diplomatic activity would cover all sectors, and stressed that a special team would visit all the Security Council member states.

“On the other hand, we will continue lobbying in the EU, since we do not believe all is lost. We see this as a decisive diplomatic battle that we believe will end favorably for Serbia,” Jakšić said.

The team’s co-chairmen, prime minister Vojislav Koštunica and president Boris Tadić were present at the meeting.

Foreign minister Vuk Drašković, Kosovo Coordinating Center chairwoman Sanda Rašković-Ivić and coordinators Leon Kojen and Slobodan Samardžić also attended.

"Consider partition"

Earlier today, Nenad Đurđević of the Center for Non-violent Action told B92 that Belgrade had limited room for manoeuvre.

“I believe that the Belgrade team can, at the moment,  fall back only on Russia for support, awaiting its veto in the UN Security Council. However, I think that such a policy cannot improve Serbia’s position. The other option is to lobby for a new draft plan,” Đurđević said.

“The state team should also consider the partition of Kosovo. In that case Serbia would hypothetically recognize independence for a part of the province."

"However, the partition is a dangerous concept, particularly with regard to the interests of Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo. The idea should be regarded as a test of the country's willingness to consider independence in any form,” Đurđević concluded.