EU Troika in Belgrade
February 7, 2007
The appeal came at meetings Wednesday between Serbian leaders and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose country currently heads the bloc's presidency.
It was the first gathering of senior Serbian and EU officials since the troubled country's Jan. 21 elections won by ultra-nationalists and the unveiling last week of UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's Kosovo status proposal.
The EU troika said they wanted to encourage Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to engage in the final phase of efforts to grant Kosovo a new status, almost eight years since its interethnic war.
"It's important that they (the Serbs) respond constructively, positively and on time to the proposal," Solana said.
Agreement could bring stability
Steinmeier said he was hoping that Serbia would take part in the search for a compromise and that final talks about the status of Kosovo could begin soon.
"We are hoping for the decisiveness on the difficult issue of Kosovo," he said. "It is now important that this agreement will create stability in the Balkans."
Solana said Brussels was ready to conditionally accept Belgrade's request for a brief delay to the Kosovo status, and sought to give Serbia time to form a parliament and new Kosovo talks team.
In his draft report on Kosovo's final status delivered last week, Ahtisaari avoided the word independence but was immediately criticized by Belgrade for offering the province the trappings of statehood, including a constitution, security force, anthem, flag, and the ability to join international organizations.
Belgrade remains firm
Though formally still part of Serbia, Kosovo has been run by a UN mission since 1999, after NATO's aerial bombardment drove out forces loyal to then Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic over a crackdown on ethnic Albanians.
Belgrade and most Serbs see Kosovo as the cradle of their nation's history, culture and Orthodox Christian religion.
"We need a minimal delay in order to form the parliament and take other necessary measures," said Kostunica, who renewed his strong opposition to Kosovo's independence.
Tadic, for his part, said he told the European leaders that Kosovo's independence was "unacceptable" but pledged to continue the talks "fully convinced that it is possible to change Ahtisaari's plan."
EU waiting for new government
Wednesday's delicate talks between the EU and Serbia also addressed the formation of a pro-Western government following elections and the country's lack of war crimes cooperation.
In the polls, no single party emerged as the clear winner, leaving the country in political paralysis.
The Serbian Radical Party, which favors strong ties with traditional ally Russia instead of the West, won the most votes but fell short of a parliamentary majority.
"It will be very important for the (formation of the) government to take place as soon as possible," Solana said after meeting with Kostunica, seen as the king-maker in coalition talks.
"I was glad to hear that the prime minister is willing to make an effort ... These are difficult times," Solana added.
Brussels hopes reformists led by Tadic's pro-European Democratic Party and Kostunica's moderate nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia will be able to form a new government.
War crime persecution
Brussels suspended rapprochement talks last year with Belgrade for a lack of cooperation with the UN war crimes court, notably its failure to fulfill a promise to arrest genocide suspect Ratko Mladic.
EU enlargement chief Rehn hinted at a more flexible approach from Brussels on war crimes.
"The new government can make a new start," Rehn said when asked how Belgrade could resume negotiations on a stabilization and association agreement, seen as the first step to eventual EU membership.
"It is important that the new government makes immediately a clear commitment to arrest all the fugitives and take concrete actions to that effect," said Rehn.