Belgrade offers UN seat for north of Kosovo
Partition of Kosovo and exchange of territories is the chief idea that Serbia with mediation of the international community would like to negotiate with Pristina after the International Court of Justice in The Hague makes its opinion public over legality of unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo. This has been worked and lobbied on in international circles for a considerable time already, Belgrade based daily Blic writtes.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, July 09, 2010
The chief card in the hands of Belgrade is a seat at the UN for Kosovo without which it cannot become a state in the full sense of the word, ‘Blic' learns at circles close to negotiators.
The starting point for negotiations is that only agreement can lead to a sustainable solution that would introduce both countries into the UN. At the moment this is more a wish by Belgrade than a real possibility that it can rely on. The good moment shall be when the court in The Hague makes its decision. There is also opinion by majority of the members of the UN General Assembly that something is to be done after obtaining of the court opinion. Serbia intends then to come out with a resolution by which it shall request new negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina over the status.
‘If this plan succeeds Belgrade expects that the mediation shall be entrusted to the EU', our source says.
‘Zeri' daily of Pristina which is close to Kosovo authorities published two days ago that negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade could begin several months after announcement of the ICJ's opinion. The daily reports that after recent meeting of the EU high officials with Kosovo leaders a message was conveyed suggesting finding of a solution for the north while Serbia is expected to change its hard stance towards Kosovo sovereignty.
However, the international sources say that the daily is referring to claim that Belgrade suggested ‘exchange of territories' but ‘Pristina cannot enter talks on trading with territories without new international coordination and strong international guarantees for any possible agreement with Belgrade'.
Former American diplomat Gerard Gallucci who worked as the UN regional representative in Mitrovica from 2005 to 2008 yesterday presented at his own blog his proposal for settlement of Kosovo problem. He thinks that preliminary talks over the status should begin after the International Court of Justice presents its opinion and says that ‘the talks perhaps have already begun', Blic writtes.
