Kosovo defiant as U.N. talks fail

[Bolt_Gundam510]

PRISTINA, Kosovo (CNN) -- Kosovo will press ahead with plans for independence, a spokesman for the region's Albanian leaders said Monday as negotiators were due to confirm that talks to settle the future status of the Serbian province had failed.

Spokesman Skender Hyseni said independence for Kosovo was "not an issue of if but when," The Associated Press reported. "Kosovo will look at its own agenda, but it will certainly be much earlier than May... Kosovo is only going to follow its own roadmap."

Hyseni's comments came as the negotiators of the U.N.-appointed three-party "troika" of the U.S., European Union and Russia were due to deliver a final report confirming their failure to reach an agreement after nearly two years of talks.

On Friday the troika issued a statement declaring talks had reached an impasse. "We carefully considered with the parties every reasonable option that would provide a way forward to common ground," said U.S. troika member Frank Wisner. "That common ground was not found."

Up to 3,000 Kosovans marched through Pristina, the provincial capital, on Monday to call for independence, AP reported. Marchers waved Albanian and U.S. flags and carried banners reading "Independence is the only option" and "Europe, show some unity."

The U.N. has administered Kosovo since NATO forces drove out Yugoslav troops in 1999 amid grave human rights abuses in the fighting between Serbs and Albanians.

Kosovo is seeking supervised independence from Serbia, but Serbia wants the region to remain autonomous within its borders.

Serbia says the province historically belongs to it and has strong religious significance for its majority Orthodox Christian population. But it is equally coveted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, who are mostly Muslim and make up a 90 percent majority in the region.

The troika of mediators said it had discussed a wide range of options to resolve Kosovo's status, including full independence, supervised independence, a territorial partition, substantial autonomy and confederal arrangements. They even discussed an "agreement to disagree" solution, to no avail.

The failure of the talks coupled with Albanian moves towards independence have triggered fears that Serbia will take violent means to prevent the loss of Kosovan territory.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has told CNN that Serbia will not use force to achieve its political objectives.

But an adviser to Serbia's prime minister said last week his country would defend its sovereignty "using all means" at its disposal.

"The state has no recourse other than war when someone does not respect the U.N. Security Council," Aleksandar Simic, an adviser to Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, told state television.

Russia, a staunch ally of Serbia, has warned Kosovo against any self-proclamation of independence. Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said it may "aggravate ethnic rifts" and "rekindle violence."

CNN's European Political Editor Robin Oakley said the main threat of violence was from militias forming as both sides grew impatient with the failure of negotiations to produce a settlement.

"Nobody really feels the status quo can go on much longer," said Oakley. "The people of Kosovo are in dire straits economically and nobody is going to put money into the region until this issue is settled."

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the organization would not tolerate a return to violence, and he promised to "act resolutely" against anyone resorting to violent means.

NATO currently has 16,000 troops stationed in Kosovo and more ready to intervene to prevent any outbreak of violence on either side if needed.

Source: CNN EUROPE

[irish]

I have a concern that Ireland is going to recognise Kosovo when the de facto government there declares unilateral independence later this month. Most observers agree that the government in Pristina will indeed declare independence from Serbia very soon.

Kosovo has never been independent. It is a region of Serbia and is recognised in international law as being so. Over the recent years we have had more than enough for the disregard of international law, let us not make another mistake and fly in the face of international law and the stability and security it affords.

A resolution to the Kosovo question must, of course, be found and given time no doubt some type of accommodation will be found within the Republic of Serbia. If we begin to simply recognise unilateral declarations of independence then new states will be popping up willy nilly. If Ireland and the E.U disregard international law and recognise Kosovo then do we follow that action to its logical conclusion by also recognising Transdneister, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Kurdistan......the list goes on and on.

The borders are set, the borders are recognised, the borders are lawful. The bad old days of Milosevic are gone, Serbia is now a democratic State which will enter the E.U family in the near future. Kosovars can exist in harmony within Serbia with autonomy. We must also not forget that there is a Serbian minority in Kosovo, they should not become refugees or foreigners in their own land.

In all seriousness how could we possibly lecture others about democracy and international law and norms when we, Ireland and the E.U, disregard that very same international law when we see fit!

It is my sincere hope that Ireland will not recognise Kosovo as an independent State. I have no connection either with Kosovo or Serbia and I am speaking solely as an individual. We have an onus to respect international law.

[dock98]

it seems they have been fighting there forever.ireland says it will recognize Kosovo

[irish]

I didn't know that Ireland was going to recognise Kosovo or not, I thought they might even though it would be going againest international law. It is dissapointing to say the least. I don't believe our government has the moral mandate of the Irish people to recognise a country which goes againest established international law. We elected them, sure, but not to do things which are illegal!

[meda]

Some facts:

1) Serbia was a Christian country since it was founded in 1191.

2) Kosovo is a part of Serbia.

3) Kosovo was a part of Serbia since Serbia was first founded (in 1191.)