WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2005 (BETA) - The beginning of the solving of the final status of Kosovo will depend on the assessment of the extent to which the U.N. standards have been implemented in the province, which will be performed later this year by Washington and Brussels, the U.S. Department of State announced in a document on cooperation between the U.S. and the EU.

Through the activities of the Contact Group, UNMIK and KFOR, the U.S. and EU will continue their engagement in Kosovo, it was said in the document and added that the U.S. will bring the decision about the beginning of status solving "together with its partners and in accordance with Resolution 1244."

"Our goal is the building of a multi-ethnic Kosovo where all the population, regardless of their ethnic origin, would live safely and in peace. This will be possible only if the temporary institutions of Kosovo continue with the implementation of standards," it was said in the document.