Serbian team rejects all provisions of Ahtisaari's proposal contradicting Serbia's integrity, sovereignty

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND)

 

Source: Government of Serbia

Date: 21 Feb 2007

 

Belgrade/Vienna, Feb 21, 2007 - At the onset of a new round of talks on Kosovo-Metohija's future status taking place in Vienna, the Serbian state negotiating team rejected today all provisions of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal for Kosovo status settlement which contradict Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

 

The negotiating team said in a statement that the team coordinators Slobodan Samardzic and Leon Kojen stressed in an opening statement that only a solution resulting from talks, without artificially imposed deadlines, may lead to a proper agreement and regional stability in the Balkans.

 

Kojen and Samardzic once again emphasised firm dedication to the search for sustainable compromise and a peaceful solution of the Serbian-Albanian conflict which is the key issue influencing the overall politics and stability in the region.

 

They also welcomed the possibility UNOSEC offered to the Serbian team in the sense of taking part in consultations on Ahtisaari's proposal, adding that the Serbian team does indeed wish to actively and constructively participate in it.

 

The statement stresses that the Serbian team will present Serbia's position regarding all aspects of Ahtisaari's plan and especially regarding the main body of the text on general principles which contains ideas and resolutions on which there has not been any discussion previously, or which have not been looked at during the status resolution process.

 

During today's talks in Vienna, the Serbian delegation rejected all provisions of Ahtisaari's proposal which are not in line with Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and presented alternative solutions based on the idea of internationally guaranteed substantial autonomy of Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia, adds the statement.