(5/06/06) KOSOVO NEGOTIATIONS FAIL TO DETERMINE ECONOMIC STATUS. (Balkan Watch)

• 2006-06-06
• Europa in de wereld

The most recent round of final status talks in Vienna have failed to reach agreement on key components of Kosovo’s economy. Deputy UN special envoy Albert Rohan stated that the talks were designed to discuss important economic issues, including privatization, debts, liabilities, and future ownership of important industrial assets. Rohan noted that the Kosovo Albanians were “reaching out to the Serbian community” while criticizing Serbia for “its obstructive attitude” in the talks. EU envoy Stefan Lehne stated that the Kosovo Albanians agreed with the Serbs to share Kosovo’s foreign debts with Serbia, “on the basis of identifiable final beneficiary.” Kosovar negotiator Skender Hyseni said that both sides wanted to identify which debts each would be responsible for.

The Serbian government has objected to various parts of Kosovo’s economic privatization, claiming that various collective assets were sold at rates below actual market value. Hyseni also suggested that Kosovo Albanians were worthy of some form of economic compensation for atrocities and injustices committed by the Serbs against them, particularly during the 1998-99 war.

Chief UN mediator Martti Ahtisaari is expected to call for more direct negotiations after he provides an update on the talks to the Security Council in mid-July.