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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Talks on Kosovo-Metohija resume in Vienna

Vienna, 22 February 2007

Today in Vienna, the second day of talks on UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal, delegations from Belgrade and Pristina will discuss the annexes dealing with constitution, rights of minorities and the judicial system.

Ahtisaari and his deputy Albert Roan will preside over the meeting at Vienna's congress Austria Centre. Negotiating teams from Belgrade and Pristina will state their objections to Annexes 1 and 2 which refer to the constitution and the rights of minorities, as well as Annex 4, referring to the judicial system.

Coordinator of the Serbian state team for Kosovo status negotiations Leon Kojen said that the first annex is very important as it refers to constitutional issues and added that a large number of essential amendments for Serbia and Serbs in the province have been prepared.

He expressed hope that part of the amendments will be, if not adopted, then at least considered by Martti Ahtisaari.

Another coordinator of the state negotiating team Slobodan Samardzic pointed out that amendments stipulate that the constitution of Kosovo-Metohija is in line with the Serbian Constitution and explained that this amendment shows the hierarchy of legal acts in Serbia and is in line with Amendment 1 to the general part, which stresses that Kosovo-Metohija will be an autonomous province within Serbia.

Samardzic reiterated that Serbia requires decentralisation of powers in the province, noting that there is an amendment according to which Serb municipalities should have wider authority in the areas of education, social care, culture, protection of churches, police and judiciary.