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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Kosovo status talks enter crucial stage

Belgrade/Vienna, 22 October 2007

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs and co-president of the Serbian state negotiating team at the third round of talks on the Kosovo-Metohija future status in Vienna Vuk Jeremic said today that talks on the province are entering their crucial stage.

Vuk Jeremic

Author: Fonet

Following consultations between the Belgrade team and the troika of envoys, Jeremic said that they discussed the proposals of international mediators listed in 14 items and added that the Serbian delegation stressed that proposals must not exceed the framework of Resolution 1244.

According to Jeremic, the main impression is that the talks are entering the crucial stage and that was the main topic which loomed over these talks as well.

He noted that the tone of the talks has become very serious and that the talks concerned the implications to the negotiating process if the talks should move from this point or fail to do so, if the two sides reach or fail to reach minimum agreement not only on this document, but also on the direction in which the talks will continue.

Jeremic added that the emphasis during the meeting with the troika was on the question as to whether it is possible to reach minimum consent on the 14 items of the Contact Group’s proposal.

I think that the afternoon meeting with Pristina will be important, said Jeremic and pointed out that the dilemma remains how to move on after October 22 towards the second round and the second set of items.

He explained that consultations between the Serbian delegation and the troika of envoys lasted more than the envisaged two hours and specified that they discussed the document of the troika. This is why the meeting took longer because the Serbian state team had prepared a response to the document and was ready to elaborate on its stance.

Co-president of the delegation and Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic reiterated that the meeting with the troika took longer than planned because Belgrade had prepared a reply to the mediators’ proposal.

Samardzic stressed that the Serbian delegation responded to every item of the proposal and particularly reacted to the fact that Resolution 1244 was not mentioned in it.

We are pleased that all members of the troika said their intention was not to exceed the framework of Resolution 1244. It remains for us to discuss the status. We are satisfied with that. Nice words, however, must be stated in the document. It is important not to deviate or to replace an issue with new issues and topics and talks on some inter-relations. Since we disagreed on some points, there was also a lot of explaining and discussion, said Samardzic.

After today’s direct talks on the status with the Pristina delegation, Jeremic said that they were hard and added that a new round of Belgrade-Pristina talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, under the mediation of Contact Group’s troika, will take place on November 5 in Vienna.

The Minister said that the Belgrade side presented severe reservations to some of 14 items presented by the negotiating troika today.

Jeremic said that Belgrade opened a discussion on two issues – whether or not it is within UN SC Resolution 1244 and whether anyone has the right to threaten unilateral acts.

The Serbian side insisted on hearing from the Pristina team whether they accept the position that the troika accepted. The position is that this process is defined by Resolution 1244 and whether we ask for a solution within this document, Jeremic said.

Jeremic explained that Belgrade cited the documents of Albanians stating that any unilateral acts do not lead to peace and stability, noting that this is the point with which Belgrade agrees.

We expressed our firm belief that we cannot continue the process toward a compromise solution if an integral element of one side is to threaten unilateral solutions, Jeremic pointed out.

According to him, the Serbian party demanded that this item is put on paper as an element of agreement.

He said that status was discussed as well as concrete issues, including competencies that Belgrade wants to keep and what it offers to Kosovo Albanians.

It was not easy, but there is a positive moment, it is not big but positive, we continue to move on, Jeremic said and added that Belgrade pointed out that any artificial time restriction would have no sense and it does not help finding a compromise solution.

I do not want to spread an optimistic mood, but we are moving toward a compromise solution, Jeremic concluded.

Slobodan Samardzic

Author: Fonet

Samardzic stated that today’s talks were very important and that there was a danger of moving the process from the main topic of status negotiations to the topic of Belgrade-Pristina relations.

We clearly acknowledged that we need to get back within the framework of Resolution 1244, which means that we talk about status, and talks on relations between Serbia and Kosovo can only be part of that status solution.

If we solve the status, there will evidently be cooperation that is institutionally set, Samardzic said and noted that the main issue is status itself and that the insisting on the Resolution is crucial.

He said that the Pristina delegation avoided answering about Serbia’s competencies in foreign policy, but the prime minister of Kosovo, Agim Ceku, presented his independence concept as tactical move for avoiding a discussion on certain status aspects.

Samardzic outlined that the talks did not address the 14 item document by the troika, which will be the topic of the next meeting.

Samardzic expressed hope that talks on this issue and proposal of Belgrade will continue, which will bring the two sides some common elements.

He said that no big progress should be expected by December 10, when the mediating troika should submit a report to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

If we manage to move from a standstill, we can expect progress, Samardzic said and added that the troika’s document came too early as the two sides have not established common elements about Kosovo status.