EU ondersteunt VN-plan voor toekomst Kosovo (en)

The EU has strongly urged Serbs and Kosovan Albanians to engage in talks on the basis of a UN proposal on the future of Kosovo unveiled on Friday (2 February) - but Serbia immediately rejected the UN text as opening the door to Kosovo's independence.

UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari on Friday presented his long-awaited "Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement" to Serb president Boris Tadic in Belgrade, before flying on the same day to Pristina to brief Kosovan president Fatmir Sejdiu.

Mr Ahtisaari's report avoids the term "independence" for Kosovo - currently a province of Serbia administered by the UN - but the text effectively puts the territory on a path towards a split from Belgrade, according to western diplomats quoted by the BBC.

The draft "opens the possibility of independence" for Kosovo as Serbia's historic heartland, AP quotes Serbia's Mr Tadic as saying.

"I told Mr Ahtisaari that Serbia and I, as its president, will never accept Kosovo's independence," Mr Tadic said in a strongly negative statement after their meeting, with outgoing Serb prime minister Vojislav Kostunica even refusing to meet the UN diplomat.

The Ahtisaari text proposes that "Kosovo shall adopt a constitution" and "shall have the right to negotiate and conclude international agreements, including the right to seek membership in international organisations" in proposals hinting at possible future independence.

The UN envoy said that in the coming weeks, he intends to invite the parties to further consultations - which will directly tackle the sovereignty question.

"This consultation phase is important, I want to give both parties a chance once again to make points. I will then finalise my settlement proposal for submission to the [UN] Security Council. At that stage I will also elaborate on the status issue," Mr Ahtisaari noted according to Reuters.

"On the status issue itself I think the positions of the parties are extremely fixed," the UN diplomat indicated, reflecting his previous failed attempts to get Belgrade and Pristina to agree to a compromise among themselves before any UN-imposed settlement.

EU urges compromise

Meanwhile, the EU said it welcomed Friday's UN roadmap, with Europe's foreign policy chief Javier Solana i stating "I strongly encourage both Belgrade and Pristina to engage actively with Martti Ahtisaari on the basis of his proposal."

"I expect both parties to demonstrate responsibility, flexibility and a recognition of the need for realistic compromise-based solutions."

But with a last-ditch compromise between Belgrade and Pristina being seen as unlikely, the EU as well as the US are gearing up for a confrontation at the UN security council with Russia which has said it will oppose any decision unacceptable for Belgrade.

Moscow has indicated that if Kosovo becomes independent, it could itself push for a similar solution to the pro-Russian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia and Transdniestria in Moldova.

UN security council members are seen as unlikely to agree on a new resolution for Kosovo status before the summer, with diplomats speculating on what Moscow wants in return for accepting independence.

The UN has no legal power in itself to create a new state by means of a resolution - but a resolution would open the door for other countries or international bodies, such as the EU, to formally recognise Kosovo as a new country.

EU police mission

The EU, meanwhile, is set to back any formula coming out of Mr Ahtisaari's hat - despite member states' divisions over the issue which have seen Spain, Italy, Slovakia and Romania opposing fully-fledged independence for Kosovo.

Under Mr Ahtisaari's plan, the EU is granted a major role in providing security and stability in the territory, seen by Brussels as part of the pack of Balkan states with a perspective of future EU membership.

An International Civilian Representative (ICR) supervising the Kosovo status settlement will also function as the EU's special representative, the document says.

A 1,300-man strong European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) mission - the biggest-ever EU civil security operation - will "monitor, mentor and advise on all areas related to the rule of law," assisting Kosovo in the development of police, judicial, customs and penal institutions.

This mission will also have "the authority to assume other responsibilities to ensure the maintenance and promotion of the rule of law, public order and security," according to the Ahtisaari plan.

NATO's current military presence on the ground will meanwhile continue for an unspecified period.