21 Oct 2006

Delay to the announcement of Kosovo's final status

On October 9, Martti Ahtisaari, the UN special envoy for Kosovo, admitted no agreed solution was in sight in ongoing talks on final status.
In fact, the gap is widening, as the Albanian majority clamours for independence as soon as possible, while Serbs up the stakes, using their constitution as a diplomatic weapon.
On September 30, Serbia's parliament narrowed the chances of future compromise by adopting a draft constitution that describes Kosovo as an indivisible part of the republic's territory.
At the same time, Serb officials have put pressure on the international community not to make any pronouncement on Kosovo's final status before Serbia's next parliamentary elections, expected in December.
Belgrade foreseen that an announcement of final status will be postponed until next year.
Though politicians in Kosovo continue to insist final status question will be resolved this year, with some predicting that frustration may spill over into violence. But many political analysts admit this looks unlikely.
Negotiations on final status opened in Vienna in February under Ahtisaari's auspices, six years after the international community took over administration of the territory from Serbia.
But the talks failed to agree on any substantial points.
The so-called Contact Group of big powers on Kosovo has authorised Ahtisaari to prepare a document on final status, in the meantime urging him to continue negotiations on the "technical" issues.
In the absence of wider agreement, this document is to contain Ahtisaari's personal opinion on the status question, after which a solution may be imposed on both sides.