Global Policy Forum

Today marks the official end of the four-month Kosovo status negotiations between Belgrade and Priština.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will submit a report given to him by the mediating Troika to the UN Security Council. The report on the Kosovo talks states that Belgrade and Priština promised to refrain from moves that would endanger the security situation in the province, while maintaining their stances on the Kosovo status issue. Goran Bogdanovic, a member of the Belgrade team, said that nothing meaningful will happen with the status situation until December 19, when he expects the Security Council to give a suggestion for continuing talks.

"I do not even expect a decision on December 19. The only thing that could happen, and we all expect it and hope for it, is that the Security Council could submit a proposal for a continuation of negotiations," Bogdanovic said. "We expect the Security Council to make a decision to try and find a solution of compromise," Bogdanovic said, reminding that the danger of the Albanians proclaiming independence unilaterally is "still a reality".

President of the Forum for Ethnic Relations Dušan Janjic said that the UN Security Council will probably conclude that there was progress made in the Kosovo status talks, but he does not think that a continuation will be approved. "The report, essentially, speaks of the inability to solve the status problem through direct talks, but at the same time suggests talks regarding other mutual interests," he told B92.

The Kosovo Albanians have called on Western countries to offer "immediate" support to their demands for full independence from Serbia, considering that the negotiations have failed. They also stated that independence would not be proclaimed without the go-ahead from the United States and European Union. December 10 had earlier been calculated as the "D Day" for Kosovo Albanian leaders to proclaim independence. The UN Security Council will discuss the report on the status talks on December 19, with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica expected to lead the Serbian delegation.

Wisner shows support for Ahtisaari plan

Yesterda, U.S. envoy Frank Wisner said that Martti Ahtisaari's Kosovo plan is "still alive and well, and a good road forward." The United States official in the mediating Troika for the Kosovo status talks said that "an agreement cannot be found at the negotiation table." The Kosovo negotiation team stated that it is ready to implement UN Kosovo envoy Ahtisaari's plan for an internationally-supervised independence of the province.

"Ahtisaari's proposal also includes a package of measures for the protection of Kosovo minorities, and represents a solid basis for leading Kosovo and the region towards the light of a Euro-Atlantic perspective," the Kosovo team stated. "I would say that Ahtisaari's plan was never taken off the table during the Troika talks. The Serbian side rejected it, and the Kosovo side accepted it – Ahtisaari's plan is still there, alive and well," Wisner told Voice of America.

Asked what the report given by the Troika to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon states essentially, Wisner said that it states that the Troika spent 120 days working and searching for a solution, but that it was not able to find an agreement between the Serbian government and Priština. "We had excellent cooperation from both sides that presented their positions and ideas were listened to, but no agreements were reached," Wisner said.

"I can only conclude that we can no longer work on finding and agreed solution, because the two sides are not ready to reach an agreement. My personal stance is that we looked at the situation from every possible angle and that an agreement could not be reached," he said.