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OSCE
CHAIRMAN VOICES SUPPORT FOR BEGINNING OF STATUS TALKS ON
KOSOVO PRISTINA, 14 October 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, today urged Kosovos political and
community leaderships to play an active part in the upcoming negotiations on the
future status of Kosovo. During his third trip to Pristina, he welcomed the decision to establish the Team of
Unity in advance of the status talks. He also encouraged all parties to ensure
the inclusive nature of the team, both in terms of political and ethnic
composition, and for all communities to be properly consulted throughout the
entire process. The
time has come for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo to begin, and it
is important the Team of Unity ensures that other communities are invited and
included in the negotiations. Dialogue must take place on all levels, in
particular among political forces in Kosovo, but also between
It
is, however, important that the public understands that both sides will need to
make difficult concessions during the talks, and they must be prepared for a
compromise solution. Minister Rupel held talks with the Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary General Soren Jessen-Petersen, the President of Kosovo Ibrahim
Rugova, Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, representatives of the Kosovo Serb
community, and the Team of Unity, whose members include Nexhat Daci, Bajram
Kosumi, Hashim Thaci, Veton Surroi, and Blerim
Shala. The
Chairman-in-Office pledged the Organizations continued commitment to Kosovo,
where the OSCE has its largest field presence and is the
institution-building pillar of the
UN Interim Administration, regardless of the outcome of future status
talks. The OSCE stands ready to facilitate the future status process, performing important tasks of capacity-building and promoting human rights, he said. The Kosovo Government should, however, continue to fulfil the Standards, as the international community will continue to monitor progress and act accordingly. --------------------------------------------------- |
