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Solution for status of Kosovo requires agreement of both sides
Belgrade,
15 November 2006
Permanent Advisor of the state team for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Thomas Fleiner voiced hope that the decision of UN Special Envoy for Kosovo talks Martti Ahtisaari to postpone the presentation of his proposal for the province's final status will be an opportunity for Belgrade and Pristina to continue negotiations and discuss many issues they have not been able to agree on so far.
Fleiner said in an interview to Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti that the negotiating process has just begun and that in such negotiations it is necessary to talk about many details which the negotiating teams still have not touched on.
That is the result of someone's belief that this problem can be solved in several months, which is an illusion, according to Fleiner.
Fleiner gave the examples of Cyprus and Israel and pointed out that in the cases of secession or ethnic conflicts there is no historical precedent in which a solution was found in such a short time, but rather after long and painstaking negotiations.
According to Fleiner, there is a solution to Kosovo problem, but it can be reached only through an agreement of the two sides, underlining that a lasting and quality solution cannot be imposed.
Commenting on the what Ahtisaari’s role should be, Fleiner said that the international mediator should control the negotiation process, regulate the schedule of meetings, evaluate whether talks are to be held among larger or smaller groups and resolve other similar matters, while the Belgrade and Pristina teams should determine the content of negotiations.
However, Fleiner added, what happened is that the international mediator is trying to take control of the content of negotiations, which is not supposed to be his job. He reiterated that a solution to the problem should be reached through agreement between two negotiating sides.
Fleiner said that the issue of decentralisation in Kosovo-Metohija has been “taken up from a dead point” and now the precise positions of the two sides have been established, which is a good basis for continuing negotiations.
It can not be predicted how many more meetings on that issue are necessary, said Fleiner, and warned that there are many details which should be discussed, due to which a lot of information, determination and negotiations are necessary for finding a solution.
Fleiner concluded that major progress made in the process of negotiations thus far was in the talks on religious cultural heritage.
That is the result of someone's belief that this problem can be solved in several months, which is an illusion, according to Fleiner.
Fleiner gave the examples of Cyprus and Israel and pointed out that in the cases of secession or ethnic conflicts there is no historical precedent in which a solution was found in such a short time, but rather after long and painstaking negotiations.
According to Fleiner, there is a solution to Kosovo problem, but it can be reached only through an agreement of the two sides, underlining that a lasting and quality solution cannot be imposed.
Commenting on the what Ahtisaari’s role should be, Fleiner said that the international mediator should control the negotiation process, regulate the schedule of meetings, evaluate whether talks are to be held among larger or smaller groups and resolve other similar matters, while the Belgrade and Pristina teams should determine the content of negotiations.
However, Fleiner added, what happened is that the international mediator is trying to take control of the content of negotiations, which is not supposed to be his job. He reiterated that a solution to the problem should be reached through agreement between two negotiating sides.
Fleiner said that the issue of decentralisation in Kosovo-Metohija has been “taken up from a dead point” and now the precise positions of the two sides have been established, which is a good basis for continuing negotiations.
It can not be predicted how many more meetings on that issue are necessary, said Fleiner, and warned that there are many details which should be discussed, due to which a lot of information, determination and negotiations are necessary for finding a solution.
Fleiner concluded that major progress made in the process of negotiations thus far was in the talks on religious cultural heritage.
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