April 5, 2007 - Following the first day of UN Security Council meeting on the status of Serbian province of Kosovo, the Head of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said that there had been little support in the Security Council for Kosovo to be given independence and suggested that the Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide would be a good choice to replace Ahtisaari in the future negotiations on the status talks.

Raskovic-Ivic said that the Serbian negotiating team did not discuss the new mediator, but she offered her opinion stressing that Eide is a good solution.

Raskovic-Ivic said that several other countries, including China are in support of sending an evaluation team to Kosovo to reexamine UNs implementation.

"We highly recommend to the UN Security Council, to assign a mission to be sent in the conflict area of Kosovo, to visit Belgrade and Kosovo, in order to get their impressions regarding the real situation there," said Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack stated in Washington that Russia's proposal for sending a mission to Kosovo to check on the implementation of standards in the province, will be seriously considered.

Kosovo Albanian government, however, opposes this initiative and according to a report by a Kosovo Albanian paper, Koha Ditore, an evaluation of the fulfillment of the standards was already performed by the United Nations.

"United Nations have already had a report regarding the progress in Kosovo, and this report was realistic, and prepared by the internationals in Kosovo, therefore we believe that there is no reason that would justify such a request," Kosovo Albanian government spokesman Lama told Koha Ditore.

On his return to Kosovo, however, the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Joachim Rucker said to the Kosovo Albanian press that the UN Security Council demonstrated considerable support for Kosovo independence.

"British Ambassador said, among other things, that he thinks there is a considerable support for Ahtisaari’s proposal and it was reasonable because this support came from USA and all members of European Union," Rücker said adding that the EU will act in a unified manner at the UN SC.

US Ambassador in Belgrade Michael Polt assessed that the Security Council session on Kosovo was another step towards solving the future status of the province, in accordance with the plan of UN Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Polt said that he does not believe that the SC would reject Ahtisaari’s plan. 

Stating that the UN Security Council is the beginning of a process, Kosovo Albanian publisher Veton Surroi also warned that the process must be short.

Kosovo Albanian provisional Parliament is considering an announcement of a special statement in support of Ahtisaari's proposal and that this statement has been planned in secret but made public upon return of the Kosovo Albanian provisional President Sejdiu who was denied a podium at the UN.

Bosnian Serb Republic President Milorad Dodik commented that the final status decision on Kosovo will represent a creation of a new reality in the region and said that in case Kosovo becomes independent, citizens of the Serb Republic will question differing standards. Dodik indirectly announced a possibility of a referendum on separation of the Serb Republic from Bosnia.

serbianna (c)