Kosovo president not to meet with Serbian counterpart - spokesman

Text of report by L.K. entitled "Muhamet Hamiti: No meeting with Tadic", published by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Kosova Sot on 3 May

Prishtina [Pristina], 2 May - Despite the huge support that senior EU officials have shown to Serbian President Boris Tadic for inviting Kosova [Kosovo] President Ibrahim Rugova to a direct dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, the latter [former] has reiterated his stance that there will not be negotiations with Belgrade on major issues. Meanwhile all Kosova political leaders have expressed a readiness to continue a dialogue with Belgrade on issues of mutual interest, such as missing persons, energy, return of displaced people, and transport.

Over the past few days, international political players counted on the possibility that President Rugova would attend a donors conference on historic and religious sites to be held in Paris on 12 May, to which they planned to also invite Serbian President Tadic. But a meeting between the Kosova and Serbian presidents is unlikely to take place because of President Rugova's tight political agenda in the coming days. Presidential spokesperson Muhamet Hamiti said in a clear-cut way that no such a meeting will take place.

So far, leaders of Kosova's institutions have not ruled out the possibility of talks in an international conference in order to wrap up Kosova's political status -independence.

Source: Kosova Sot, Pristina, in Albanian 3 May 05 p 3