Belgrade proposes five themes for direct talks with Pristina
Serbia has proposed five themes for the direct talks with Pristina, scheduled to begin on September 28 in New York under the auspices of the international troika.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The first theme would be to reach an international agreement on the future status of Kosovo which would set out substantial autonomy for the province, Serbia's minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic told journalists on Tuesday after a meeting between the Belgrade delegation and the EU-Russia-US troika in London.
The second theme would be the concrete division of competencies between Serbia and Kosovo.
Economic themes, relations between Kosovo and international financial organizations, as well as with regional initiatives would follow.
The final, fifth theme, would be the direct presence of the international community under the auspices of the UN, through a civil and military engagement, in order to secure the implementation of the status solution.
Samardzic said "nothing spectacular should be expected" from the New York meeting, but that it would represent an "expression of good will of both sides to negotiate on the designated theme, which is the future status of Kosovo".
He added Belgrade would know by early October whether the Albanian side "wants to negotiate or not".
"We will inform the troika on whether we have a negotiations process or whether we are just wasting time until a prejudged decision was brought on December 10", Samardzic warned.
The troika is meeting with the Pristina delegation on Wednesday.
