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Second round of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina wraps up in Vienna

Vienna, 17 March 2006

The second round of direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on the decentralisation of Kosovo-Metohija wrapped up today in Vienna. The issue of reform of local authorities in the province with emphasis on the financing of local institutions and cooperation between municipalities was also discussed, as well as cooperation between municipalities and centres that are outside the administrative borders of the province.

From left: Aleksandar Simic, Leon Kojen and Slobodan Samardzic

Author: Fonet

As in the first round of negotiations held in February the talks were chaired by Deputy Envoy of UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari, Austrian diplomat Albert Roan, and were attended by EU envoy for negotiations on Kosovo's future status Stefan Lehne, as well as representatives of the UNMIK and the US.

Members of the Belgrade team demanded that the future municipalities with a Serb majority in the province should be directly financed from the Serbian government’s budget. The demand was opposed by the Albanian negotiators, who said that Belgrade should financially assist the future municipalities solely through the Kosovo government and that help be treated as a foreign donation.

Advisor to the Serbian President and member of Belgrade’s negotiating team Leon Kojen said in a statement to journalists that today’s round of negotiations on the decentralisation of Kosovo-Metohija was useful, and despite difference in positions a certain degree of progress has been made.

That is important in order to re-establish conditions for normal life in Serb communities in Kosovo-Metohija, and for the return of those who were forced to leave, said Kojen.

Advisor to the Serbian Prime Minister and member of Belgrade’s negotiation team Slobodan Samardzic said that the aim of the negotiations is to protect Serb communities and secure the return of refugees. He added that the Serb side wants direct, institutional relations between Belgrade and Serb municipalities in Kosovo-Metohija.

He also recalled that today’s round of negotiations was held on the anniversary of the March violence against Serbs.

Apart from Kojen and Samardzic, Belgrade’s delegation consisted of advisor to the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Simic and political representatives of Kosovo Serbs Marko Jaksic, Goran Bogdanovic, and Boris Begovic, economist Bosko Mijatovic and legal advisor of the Serbian negotiating team Thomas Fleiner. Pristina’s delegation was led by leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo Hashim Thaqi.