Jessen-Petersen Met With Belgrade Officials

Before leaving for the Contact Group meeting in Berlin, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Sřren Jessen-Petersen paid his first official visit to Belgrade and met with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica and SCG FM Vuk Draskovic, all dailies report. Following the meetings the SRSG said that he expected the Contact Group to respond to the Serbian Government decentralization plan by Friday. He expressed his belief that his interlocutors would urge Kosovo Serbs to vote in the Kosovo Assembly elections, admitting that this was merely his belief and not based on anything the Belgrade officials had said. “Non-participation of Serbs in the Kosovo elections would be contrary to the multi-ethnicity in Kosovo that we jointly support,” said Jessen-Petersen. Announcing that the international community would undertake more decisive steps in Kosovo after the October elections, Jessen-Petersen advocated an urgent launching of a dialogue on technical and political issues, stressing that he did not accept excuses for postponing it. “I will push the dialogue, aware there are realities that make it difficult, but we cannot accept postponement,” said Jessen-Petersen, adding that he agreed with his collocutors in Belgrade that Kosovo should become an active part of the region. Jessen-Petersen also met with the three-member delegation of the Association of the Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Kosovo headed by the President of the Association Verica Tomanovic. Jessen-Petersen has stressed that he is fully aware of the seriousness of the problem and that during his lengthy engagement in the Balkans he has the opportunity to perceive the tragic situation of the families of the kidnapped and missing persons. The SRSG pointed out that he had earlier discussed this issue with Serbian President Boris Tadic, adding that this issue would be his personal priority.

Kostunica and Sřren Jessen-Petersen discussed current problems of Kosovo (RTS)

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has stated that the “process of decentralization of Kosovo must encompass institutional guarantees for the Serb community from the Serbian government plan so as to ensure their survival and return, and, thus, adequate motivation for taking part in the upcoming elections.” In talks with SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen, the Serbian prime minister has underlined that the two existing plans on decentralization of Kosovo are mutually complementary and that there is time to find a compromising solution. Kostunica underlined during talks that Serbs do not trust enough PISG since many years had been lost during which much had to be done towards their safety, freedom of movement and return. Jessen-Petersen has underlined that he will advocate at the Contact Group meeting in Berlin that all existing ideas on decentralization to be taken into account, but that, he stressed, it is necessary for Kosovo Serbs to take part in the elections. The UNMIK head stressed that decentralization was the most efficient way for including Kosovo Serbs into Kosovo’s social-political life. During talks, Jessen-Petersen recalled that priority problems were issues of security, especially for Kosovo Serbs, their freedom of movement and return to the province, and the issue of decentralization.

Statements by Jessen-Petersen and Tadic following talks (RTS)

UNMIK Head Sřren Jessen-Petersen and Serbian President Boris Tadic have agreed in Belgrade that it is in the interest of all - Serbia, Kosovo and the entire region as well as people who live in Kosovo and those who wish to return - that Kosovo should be a multiethnic society. It is also extremely important for Kosovo to be safe for all who live there and that there exist conditions for life in peace and normal life of all ethnic communities," Jessen Petersen told reporters after talks with Tadic. Serbian President Boris Tadic has stressed that Jessen-Petersen and himself commenced their mandates under difficult circumstances that they hadn’t created, but that their role was now to find “the only possible and correct solutions, respecting UNSCR 1244.” UNSCR 1244 is the only legal framework for Kosovo, said Tadic, adding that he convinced his collocutor that Serbia would respect everything envisaged by that resolution. “I wish him great success in that job, and this implies the care about all citizens and nations. Kosovo represents the greatest danger for preserving European values and that is the greatest challenge Europe faces today. My stand is that the basic European values are being defended precisely in Kosovo,” said Tadic.

European status “essential” for Kosovo (Fonet)

It is in the interest of the entire region for Kosovo to have a place in Europe, Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic and SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen agreed. In a statement issued after the two met in Belgrade, the Foreign Ministry quoted Draskovic as saying that European standards for the protection of minority rights and a European model for the decentralization of power were a common goal for Kosovo. But any premature discussion of the final status of the province could destabilize the entire region, said Draskovic, adding that the key to stability in Kosovo is a stable local government system, together with the restoration of Serbian houses, churches and monasteries. Petersen described his first official visit to Belgrade since taking up the post of the UNMIK head earlier this month as the beginning of an open and honest dialogue. He listed security, the economy, a fast-track implementation of European standards and the decentralization of power in Kosovo as his priorities in the job, the Foreign Ministry statement reads.

Jessen-Petersen: Contact Group decision on Kosovo by Friday (RTS)

SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen has stated that he expects the Contact Group to bring a final decision by Friday, and respond to the Serbian government plan. “Non-participation of Serbs in the Kosovo elections would be contrary to multiethnicity in Kosovo that we had advocated together here,” said Jessen-Petersen. Announcing that the international community will undertake after the elections in October more decisive steps in Kosovo, the UNMIK head advocated an urgent launching of a dialogue on technical and political issues, stressing that he didn’t accept excuses for postponing it. I will push the dialogue, aware there are realities that make it difficult, but we cannot accept postponement, said Jessen-Petersen, adding that he agreed with his collocutors in Belgrade that Kosovo become an active part of the region.

Contact Group Meets in Berlin

The representatives of Contact Group countries are to convene in Berlin today to discuss the situation in Kosovo. SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen will also attend the meeting and then he will meet with senior officials of the German Foreign Ministry. Diplomatic sources in Berlin told Beta that the meeting will discuss the local self-government in Kosovo, the Serbian Government decentralization plan and the participation of the Kosovo Serb community in the upcoming elections in Kosovo. The meeting is not expected to result in adopting an official document. However, according to the same source, something like that could be produced at the ministerial meeting of the Contact Group scheduled to take place in New York during the UN General Assembly session in September.