Serbia + 1 more
International community firmly rejects talks on status of Kosova
In response to recent statements by Serbian
Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic that he wants talks on the status of Kosova
to begin soon, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro William Montgomery
told the Belgrade daily "Blic" that the new state will harm its
relations with the United States if it opens the Kosova question, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported on 6 February (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 6 February 2003). Elsewhere in Belgrade, EU
security policy chief Javier Solana said the time has not yet come to discuss
the status of Kosova. In New York, UN civilian administration (UNMIK) chief
Michael Steiner told the Security Council that "jobs, security, and
multiethnicity" are UNMIK's priorities, Reuters reported. He added:
"This is what the international community wants. This is what people
in Kosovo want." He criticized Belgrade for saying Kosova is part
of Serbia while being concerned only with the Serbian minority there. Steiner
also said the Albanian majority fails to deal with the problems facing
Serbs and other minorities. Also at the UN, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte
said the time has come increasingly to transfer responsibilities from UNMIK
to the elected authorities in Kosova, "Koha Ditore" reported
on 7 February. PM
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