German official blames Belgrade for Kosovo Serbs' fear of future
Deutsche Presse Agentur, Wednesday September 13, 2006
New York- Serbs living in Kosovo fear for their future while following Belgrade's order to boycott UN-mediated talks on the political future of their region, a UN official said Wednesday. Negotiations held in Vienna under UN mediation this year have failed to work out a "common ground" between Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians, the dominant group in Kosovo that wants independence from Serbia.
Joachim Ruecker of Germany, the special envoy for Kosovo, said the lack of progress in the talks was due in part to the lack of cooperation from Serbs.
"This boycott continues, although the northern municipalities (in Kosovo) continue to cooperate with the UN Mission in Kosovo," said Ruecker, who heads the mission. Ethnic Serbs live mostly in northern Kosovo.
"Serbs and Albanians will have to live together in Kosovo whatever the outcome of the status of discussions," he said.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this week that the talks had not changed the atmosphere of mistrust between the two sides.
"I am disappointed that little common ground has been identified between the positions of the Serbian and Kosovo delegations, which remain committed to 'substantial autonomy' and 'full independence' respectively, with minimal space for negotiations," Annan said in a progress report to the council.
Annan urged the two sides to show flexibility and compromise in order to end the sovereignty dispute over Kosovo.
Ruecker urged Belgrade to rescind directives it had given to Kosovo Serbs not to take part in the Albanian-led government in Kosovo.
"The Kosovo Serbs are in a difficult situation," Ruecker said. "They fear for their future and do not know whom they can trust. They have been barred for over two and a half years from partcipating actively in the work of the Kosovo Assembly or the government."
"But isolation is not the answer to their problems," he said. "Integration is."
The negotiations held in Vienna this year have been mediated by Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland. Belgrade opposes full independence for Kosovo and would only grant that territory additional autonomy within Serbian borders.
Kosovo, of which the majority of citizens are ethnic Albanians, has been under UN administration since July 1999, after NATO intervened to drive out Serb security forces under former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic, who were accused of atrocities and genocide against Albanians.
The European Union and scores of countries have provided training to a Kosovo police force of over 7,000 officers to provide security for the territory.
New York- Serbs living in Kosovo fear for their future while following Belgrade's order to boycott UN-mediated talks on the political future of their region, a UN official said Wednesday. Negotiations held in Vienna under UN mediation this year have failed to work out a "common ground" between Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians, the dominant group in Kosovo that wants independence from Serbia.
Joachim Ruecker of Germany, the special envoy for Kosovo, said the lack of progress in the talks was due in part to the lack of cooperation from Serbs.
"This boycott continues, although the northern municipalities (in Kosovo) continue to cooperate with the UN Mission in Kosovo," said Ruecker, who heads the mission. Ethnic Serbs live mostly in northern Kosovo.
"Serbs and Albanians will have to live together in Kosovo whatever the outcome of the status of discussions," he said.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this week that the talks had not changed the atmosphere of mistrust between the two sides.
"I am disappointed that little common ground has been identified between the positions of the Serbian and Kosovo delegations, which remain committed to 'substantial autonomy' and 'full independence' respectively, with minimal space for negotiations," Annan said in a progress report to the council.
Annan urged the two sides to show flexibility and compromise in order to end the sovereignty dispute over Kosovo.
Ruecker urged Belgrade to rescind directives it had given to Kosovo Serbs not to take part in the Albanian-led government in Kosovo.
"The Kosovo Serbs are in a difficult situation," Ruecker said. "They fear for their future and do not know whom they can trust. They have been barred for over two and a half years from partcipating actively in the work of the Kosovo Assembly or the government."
"But isolation is not the answer to their problems," he said. "Integration is."
The negotiations held in Vienna this year have been mediated by Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland. Belgrade opposes full independence for Kosovo and would only grant that territory additional autonomy within Serbian borders.
Kosovo, of which the majority of citizens are ethnic Albanians, has been under UN administration since July 1999, after NATO intervened to drive out Serb security forces under former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic, who were accused of atrocities and genocide against Albanians.
The European Union and scores of countries have provided training to a Kosovo police force of over 7,000 officers to provide security for the territory.
posted by Snezana @ 05:13
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