Rehn, Thaci discuss Kosovo's status

Olli Rehn told Hashim Thaci today that he advocated “a truly coordinated process leading to Kosovo’s status.” “It’s a delicate matter and we’re at a very delicate stage where it’s better to use diplomatic means than public announcements.I’m not able to go into any further detail,” said the European enlargement commissioner’s spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy. Rehn, Thaci discuss Kosovo's status Nor would Nagy go into any detail when asked if Rehn had explained to the Kosovo prime minister, as he said he would yesterday, how he viewed a “coordinated” decision on Kosovo’s status, given Thaci’s announcement that a date for independence had been agreed upon with Brussels and Washington that would be “within the next few days”. Asked whether Rehn and Thaci had “set a date for Kosovo independence,” as Thaci had announced, Rehn’s spokeswoman replied that she “could only repeat what she had previously said.” She said that Rehn had stressed the EU’s determination to support Kosovo’s European future and build a stable multi-ethnic society. The European Commissioner had also “conveyed to Thaci the confidence of the European Commission and the EU in Kosovo’s dedication to a European future, and the EU’s readiness to extend significant long-term assistance to build a stable multi-ethnic society and assure all Kosovo’s communities a better future,” Nagy explained. “We’re continuing to issue political guidelines and give financial aid to stimulate the building of institutions and the implementation of socio-economic reforms linked to the European prospects Kosovo has together with the wider region,” Rehn’s spokeswoman continued. As far as Kosovo’s status was concerned, she said that Rehn had repeated the EU’s determination to implement all obligations undertaken “in order to lead a coordinated approach to settling Kosovo’s status.” Asked whether the EU was prepared to send a mission to Kosovo once independence had been declared, Nagy said that this would be up to the EU’s Council of Ministers, not the European Commission. Sejdiu: Kosovo independence is matter of days Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has repeated that the province will declare independence “in a matter of days.” Sejdiu told the BBC that, on the same day as the declaration, an invitation will be sent to the EU calling for a mission to be sent to the territory, and to NATO for their international peacekeeping force to remain. “There’s not much time left, we’ll have a clear and determined position,” he said, adding that Kosovo independence was strongly supported by the U.S. and the EU through application of the Martti Ahtisaari Plan, “as the best solution for Kosovo’s political status.” The Kosovo president said that the best solution would be via the UN Security Council. “That was a path of common support, but a blockade was created which hampered the process,” he explained. On Wednesday, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci met with President of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers Dimitrij Rupel. “The information we received was interesting and will be used appropriately to, without any further delay, form a policy that is required at this sensitive time,” said Rupel after the meeting, report Slovenian media. During his visit to Brussels, Thaci will today meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana. He is also due to hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Dutch diplomat Peter Feith, who would lead the proposed EU civic mission to Kosovo.

Rehn, Thaci discuss Kosovo's status

Nor would Nagy go into any detail when asked if Rehn had explained to the Kosovo prime minister, as he said he would yesterday, how he viewed a “coordinated” decision on Kosovo’s status, given Thaci’s announcement that a date for independence had been agreed upon with Brussels and Washington that would be “within the next few days”.

Asked whether Rehn and Thaci had “set a date for Kosovo independence,” as Thaci had announced, Rehn’s spokeswoman replied that she “could only repeat what she had previously said.”

She said that Rehn had stressed the EU’s determination to support Kosovo’s European future and build a stable multi-ethnic society.

The European Commissioner had also “conveyed to Thaci the confidence of the European Commission and the EU in Kosovo’s dedication to a European future, and the EU’s readiness to extend significant long-term assistance to build a stable multi-ethnic society and assure all Kosovo’s communities a better future,” Nagy explained.

“We’re continuing to issue political guidelines and give financial aid to stimulate the building of institutions and the implementation of socio-economic reforms linked to the European prospects Kosovo has together with the wider region,” Rehn’s spokeswoman continued.

As far as Kosovo’s status was concerned, she said that Rehn had repeated the EU’s determination to implement all obligations undertaken “in order to lead a coordinated approach to settling Kosovo’s status.”

Asked whether the EU was prepared to send a mission to Kosovo once independence had been declared, Nagy said that this would be up to the EU’s Council of Ministers, not the European Commission.

Sejdiu: Kosovo independence is matter of days

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has repeated that the province will declare independence “in a matter of days.”

Sejdiu told the BBC that, on the same day as the declaration, an invitation will be sent to the EU calling for a mission to be sent to the territory, and to NATO for their international peacekeeping force to remain.

“There’s not much time left, we’ll have a clear and determined position,” he said, adding that Kosovo independence was strongly supported by the U.S. and the EU through application of the Martti Ahtisaari Plan, “as the best solution for Kosovo’s political status.”

The Kosovo president said that the best solution would be via the UN Security Council.

“That was a path of common support, but a blockade was created which hampered the process,” he explained.

On Wednesday, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci met with President of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers Dimitrij Rupel.

“The information we received was interesting and will be used appropriately to, without any further delay, form a policy that is required at this sensitive time,” said Rupel after the meeting, report Slovenian media.

During his visit to Brussels, Thaci will today meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana.

He is also due to hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Dutch diplomat Peter Feith, who would lead the proposed EU civic mission to Kosovo.