Kosovo media

Rohan: Private messages about independence helped negotiations (Zëri)

Zëri reports that the Deputy Status Envoy Albert Rohan has said in an interview to VOA that the private messages sent to both talking sides by US, British, Italian and German officials that negotiations are likely to lead to independence for Kosovo, have helped the negotiations process. “This was very important because in fact sobered up both sides and moved them away from dreaming and makes them now have a more realistic approach,†said Rohan.

 

He said the first second round of talks between Kosovo and Serbian officials held last month in Vienna went better than expected and that the next meeting scheduled for 17 March will focus on concrete issues of importance to both sides. According to Rohan, these issues are to include decentralization, rights and responsibilities of minorities, religious and cultural sites, division of resources and debts, as well as the future of international presence in Kosovo.

 

Rohan also said that UN envoys and members of the Contact Group are determined to conclude Kosovo status negotiations in 2006. “There were some, especially Kosovo Albanians, that asked for a final settlement by summer of this year. We told them such a demand is not realistic. There were others who asked for negotiations to last for two or three years but this was also not realistic,†Rohan said in the interview.