Pristina forms “recognition lobbying team”, to be advised by Ahtisaari, Rohan and Ischinger
Representatives of the Kosovo civil society, financially funded by American financial speculator George Soros, are launching a team which will lobby for the recognition of the independence of Kosovo, according to Pristina media.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The group will include members of the Pristina negotiations team Veton Surroi and Blerim Shala.
According to Pristina media, the team will be coached by Martti Ahtisaari, his former deputy Albert Rohan and the EU representative in the Troika Wolfgang Ischinger, with whom it met late June in Vienna.
"During the meeting, Ahtisaari, Rohan and Ischinger expressed interest to help the lobbying effort in the framework of the informal strategic group", the newspaper Koha Ditore said.
The goal of the group would be to act within the civil society and among influential people in the countries which did not recognize Kosovo in order to "prepare the field" for recognition.
The group will head for Jordan later this week.
Meanwhile, the political director of the British Foreign Office Michael Leigh Grant has asked Pristina to increase lobbying efforts aimed at recognition.
"It was a good start with 43 recognitions - but it is only one quarter of the world", Grant said after meeting Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu.
Grant said that without further recognitions, it would be very hard for Kosovo to become a member of the most important international organizations.
"We have to continue supporting recognitions. The government of Kosovo must increase efforts to secure new recognitions, not only among neighbouring states, but also of the entire world", the British diplomat said.
