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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Decentralisation of Kosovo-Metohija the key issue for Belgrade

Belgrade, 15 December 2005

Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said today that Belgrade negotiating team will ask for the talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija to start with the issue of decentralisation of authority in the province.

Albert Rohan, left, and Sanda Raskovic-Ivic

Author: Tanjug

Following the meeting with Albert Rohan, the first deputy of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for negotiations on the status of Kosovo-Metohija Martti Ahtisaari, Raskovic-Ivic said that Rohan asked the negotiating teams from Pristina and Belgrade to submit written proposals of concrete issues to be discussed at the start of the negotiations with the group headed up by Martti Ahtisaari.

These documents will only outline the proposed issues and according to Raskovic-Ivic, Belgrade has opted for decentralisation as the key point of discussion, and it will suggest and demand that decentralisation also be the opening issue in the talks.

Raskovic-Ivic said that another issue the authorities in Serbia will insist on will be the issue of property rights in the province, including private, state-owned or the property belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

She pointed out that Belgrade supports open talks with Pristina, with the international community in the role of a supervisor and motivational force for the participants in the talks, which should also help the talks be more effective.

Raskovic-Ivic said that she expects the talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija to start in late January in Vienna, while Rohan said that the Ahtisaari's negotiating team will use the upcoming period to study the documents, and then continue its activities in early January.