Kosovo set to hold off on settlement
By Neil MacDonald in Belgrade and James Blitz in London Published: December 9 2007 18:21 | Last updated: December 9 2007 18:21 Kosovo’s Albanian majority has begun a critical week in its relations with Serbia by insisting that it will not press ahead with a declaration of independence without co-ordinating the move with the European Union. As EU foreign ministers prepare to meet in Brussels on Monday to begin planning their strategy after the failure of United Nations-endorsed talks on a settlement, the Kosovar Albanian leadership is making clear that it is prepared to delay an independence declaration until at least March 2008. Despite fears that failure to agree a negotiated settlement between Serbia and the Kosovo majority by Monday’s deadline could lead to ethnic clashes in the region, Hashim Thaci, the former guerrilla leader who is widely expected to be Kosovo’s future prime minister, has acknowledged that independence may have to wait. Asked how he viewed the EU’s role in co-ordinating Kosovo’s future independence declaration, Mr Thaci told the Financial Times: “The EU is the key. We are for a co-ordinated declaration of independence. For us recognition is as important as the declaration.” He went on to acknowledge that Brussels would be the main source of badly needed aid for an independent Kosovo, and that a declaration of independence by parliament could be delayed until March. Azem Vllasi, a senior Kosovar Albanian political adviser, also acknowledged the need to delay independence. “We don’t have to hurry with the act immediately after December 10,” he told the FT. “These steps must be in agreement with western countries, and all the signs from western countries are that independence is a thing we can make.” Despite these assurances, EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels amid considerable anxiety over whether Serbia and the Kosovar Albanians are near a new round of violence that would expose the limits of a common EU foreign policy in the Balkans. In a sign of how precarious the situation in the region has become, General Sir Mike Jackson, the former UK army chief in Kosovo, said the situation in the province was “a mess” that threatened to spill over into ethnic violence again. In an article in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, Sir Mike said Kosovo presented a diplomatic and military minefield in which all parties must “tread carefully”. A three-person troika – representing the EU, Russia and the US – will formally tell the UN today that the talks between Serbia and the Kosovar Albanians have failed. Deadlock will be reinforced at the UN next week when Russia, which is firmly allied with Belgrade, will call for negotiations to continue, while the US, UK and France will say they are now prepared to recognise independence for Kosovo. At meetings of EU foreign ministers and heads of government this week, the critical challenge will be to set out a broad direction for Kosovo that unites the EU while also helping ensure stability in the region. EU leaders are expected to declare at their summit on Friday that negotiations are over and that the future of both Serbia and Kosovo lies in the European Union. They are also likely to confirm they are willing to dispatch police and justice missions and appoint a high representative to oversee Kosovo if asked by the Kosovo Albanian government and the UN secretary-general. The bigger challenge for the EU is to get all 27 member states to back Kosovo’s independence. Four or five EU members, notably Cyprus and Greece, have misgivings about recognising a unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians, partly out of fear of a precedent for ethnic or national groups at home. As a result, EU leaders are likely to avoid making a commitment to the independence question this week, focusing on language they can agree on. EU diplomats believe it is crucial that the Kosovar Albanians co-ordinate their move towards independence with Brussels if they are to avoid creating a damaging split within the EU. Road ahead Monday, December 10 The EU, Russia and the US report to the UN Security Council with the results of the 120-day talks they have chaired between Serbia and the Kosovo Albanians. The troika will report that attempts to negotiate a settlement have failed. December 13-14 EU heads of government in Brussels will discuss the situation. The EU will, at the very least, reinforce its message that Kosovo must co-ordinate the timing of its declaration of independence with the US and EU. December 19 The Security Council will debate the future of Kosovo. The US, UK and France are expected to indicate backing for a future declaration of independence. Russia will probably say it wants negotiations to continue. 2008 A declaration of independence by Kosovo is likely to come in the first months of the year. Copyright <http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright> The Financial Times Limited 2007 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/24400a12-a682-11dc-b1f5-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
