Serbia's PM: UN Mediation On Kosovo Has Failed
BELGRADE (AP)--Serbia's prime minister said Thursday that mediation by the U.N.
envoy for the troubled province of Kosovo had failed, and he rejected plans for
talks on the province's future to be concluded by the end of the year.
Vojislav Kostunica criticized Martti Ahtisaari, the U.N. mediator in the
ongoing international talks, for comments he made Wednesday dismissing
suggestions - including some from European Union officials - that the
negotiations could continue beyond the end of 2006.
"A solution to the problem of Kosovo must be an agreed one, not an imposed
one," Kostunica said after a Cabinet meeting.
"Ahtisaari's mission is a failure," said the prime minister, who has repeatedly
questioned the U.N. envoy's impartiality in the negotiating process.
Kosovo is formally a part of Serbia, but has been under U.N. and North Atlantic
Treaty Organization control since 1999, when a NATO-led aerial bombardment
forced Serbia to halt a government crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian
rebels who had been fighting for independence since 1998.
The province's ethnic Albanian majority insists it be granted full
independence, but Kosovo's dwindling Serb minority wants Belgrade to retain
some control.
Kostunica stressed his opposition to Kosovo becoming an independent state.
Talks began earlier this year to try to resolve Kosovo's future. Belgrade's
offer of broad autonomy has been rejected by the Kosovo Albanians, who demand a
complete secession and full sovereignty.
The provisional deadline of the end of the year to conclude the talks has been
set by the six-nation Contact Group for Kosovo - the U.S., the U.K., France,
Germany, Russia and Italy - which oversee the negotiations.
On Tuesday, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the talks
could be delayed because Serbia plans in the meantime to hold a referendum on a
new constitution and early general elections. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians oppose
any delay.
Kostunica also urged voters to come out in large numbers at the Oct. 28-29
referendum to approve the document whose key point is stressing the southern
province is an "integral" part of Serbia.
"We need a sustainable solution for Kosovo, we need stability in the region
without a redrawing of borders," he said.
October 19, 2006 12:45 ET (16:45 GMT)
Serbian News Network - SNN
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