EU Plans for Kosovo
March 12, 2007
The EU allegedly has a blueprint for the takeover of the province in the "advanced stages" despite the political deadlock over its future status, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The bloc envisages a 72-member EU delegation supported by about 200 local staff who will oversee the implementation of the disputed UN plan granting Kosovo virtual independence, according to the blueprint report.
According to AP, the report has been compiled by a team planning the transition between Kosovo's current UN administration, known as UNMIK, the 3,000-strong authority that has been running Kosovo since the war in 1999, and its EU-led successor, the International Civilian Representative's office.
The EU move, if confirmed, is surprising given the uncertainty over the province's future. On Saturday, a final round of talks between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo ended inconclusively, with the Serbs rejecting recommendations drawn up by UN mediator Martti Ahtisaari, much to the consternation of the United States.
"The talks demonstrate that Belgrade and Pristina remain diametrically opposed on the question of the Kosovo status," said Joanne Moore, a US State Department spokeswoman.
Washington expressed support for the revised plan drawn up by UN special envoy Ahtisaari.
US, Britain pledge support for UN envoy
"The settlement proposal revised after the several weeks of consultations with the parties is a fair document," Moore said. "It's a blueprint for a more stable and democratic Kosovo that protects the right of all.
"We support the intent to present a final report to the UN Security Council by the end of the month. We call all the parties to come together on the proposal," she said.
After 13 months of negotiations aimed at finding a solution for landlocked Kosovo, Belgrade and Pristina were unable to find common ground to settle the fate of the disputed province.
Ahtisaari, who chaired the talks between the two sides, said Saturday that the potential for negotiations was exhausted. The next move would be made by the United Nations Security Council, he added.
UN package seen as unworkable
Belgrade has rejected Ahtisaari's proposal, which does not mention independence but offers the province the trappings of statehood, including a constitution, flag, national anthem and the right to join international institutions.
Kosovo is seen by many as the last hotspot in the Balkans following a bloody decade of 1990s inter-ethnic conflicts.
The UN has administered Kosovo since June 1999, when a NATO bombing campaign halted a crackdown by Belgrade security forces on the ethnic Albanian community in the province, who were seeking independence.
Some 10,000 ethnic Albanians died and hundreds of thousands fled Kosovo during the 1998-1999 conflict.
Meanwhile, Britain also expressed support Monday for Ahtisaari.
"There have been some constitutional difficulties but the differences between the two parties is clear to see, especially on the fundamental issue of status," a Foreign Office spokesman told AFP. "Both Belgrade and Pristina made clear that they are ready to proceed to the Security Council and we support the special envoy that all possibilities have been exhausted."
The Foreign Office described this development as a "further delay" rather than a derailment and praised the "effective chairmanship" of Ahtisaari.