Kosovo negotiations set to drag on

The struggle over the independence of the Serbian province of Kosovo is likely to continue in the coming months, with a new round of negotiations led by the EU, the US and Russia scheduled to open in mid-August. However, its outcome, which will be presented to the UN in December, remains uncertain.

Negotiations on the future status of Kosovo are entering a new phase in mid-August, as agreed by the Contact Group comprising the UK, France, Italy, Germany, the US and Russia. The 120 day-long talks will be led by a troika made up of EU, US and Russian representatives, facilitating talks between Belgrade and Pristina. The Contact Group is to report back to the UN by 10 December 2007.

On 29 July, the EU appointed German Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger as representative of the EU side. In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said that ”Ischinger will make every effort to achieve real and meaningful negotiations between the parties.” He stressed that Kosovo was a ”key priority” for the EU. 

Frank Wisner, appointed special envoy for Kosovo in 2005, will represent the US, while Russia has appointed senior diplomat and Balkans envoy Alexander Botsan-Kharechenko as its representative for the talks.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told the BBC on 1 August that Serbia was ready to give up certain sovereign prerogatives offering ”the widest possible autonomy in the world”, but stopping short of what Kosovo seeks to achieve: independence.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that the status quo was ”not sustainable”. On 1 August he urged the international community to ”find a solution that is timely, addresses key concerns of all communities living in Kosovo and provides clarity for Kosovo’s status”.

A final settlement of the status of Kosovo remains distant after negotiations at the UN Security Council failed. Russia has rejected a UN resolution, proposed by the EU and the US that would give de facto independence to the Serbian province, which has been under international surveillance since 1999.

However, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country takes over the EU presidency on 1 January 2008, told the FT that he hopes to be able to persuade Serbia to give Kosovo independence in return for the opportunity of EU membership. He said: “I have never felt as confident as I feel now dealing with my colleagues from Serbia.”

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EU pushes for further negotiations on Kosovo

The EU has called on Serbia and Kosovo to engage in new negotiations over the future status of the Serbian province, after a UN resolution failed to win the support of Russia. The EU and the US are seeking to avoid a unilateral move towards Kosovo independence.