Kosovo Serbs urge Serbian premier to accept talks with UNMIK chief

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica should accept the invitation issued by UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen and start talks on decentralization, the issue of missing persons and security in Kosovo-Metohija, representatives of the Kosovo Serbs have said. Zeljko Tvrdisic has the details:

[Reporter] Dragisa Krstovic, one of the leaders of the Kosovo Serbs, has described as positive Petersen's initiative to start talks on decentralization, security and the issue of missing and kidnapped persons, and stressed that the invitation should not be turned down. The opportunity to talk should not be passed up for the sake of Serbia and the Serbian community in Kosmet [Kosovo-Metohija], Krstovic said. He added that talks between the representatives of Belgrade and UNMIK would be an opportunity for the Serbian officials to come up with a new position regarding the participation of Serbs in working groups.

Marko Jaksic, president of the Community of Serbian Municipalities and Settlements in Kosovo-Metohija, has told the national news agency that Petersen's invitation to Kostunica was encouraging and that the talks on the topics mentioned had to be conducted between UNMIK and Belgrade. Marko Jaksic added that the participation of Serbs in the working group for decentralization was impossible at this time without first launching talks between UNMIK and Belgrade representatives.