Monday, November 21, 2005

Ahtisaari "delighted" to start working on Kosovo status

[Announcer] Special envoy of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Kosova [Kosovo] status talks Martti Ahtisaari arrived in Kosovo today. He is expected to meet UNMIK [United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen this afternoon and Kosova institution and party leaders on Wednesday [22 November].

[Reporter Hamza Rexha] The UN special envoy for talks on Kosova's future status Martti Ahtisaari started work today. In a short statement for the media upon his arrival in Prishtina, Ahtisaari expressed his satisfaction that the time had come for him to begin work.

[Ahtisaari in English with Albanian voice-over] I am delighted that we have been able to come so soon after my nomination to head the negotiations for the future status of Kosova.

[Reporter] A few minutes before Ahtisaari entered the UNMIK headquarters, members of the Vetvendosja movement wrote slogans "No negotiations Self-determination" on the concrete walls surrounding the building. The chief negotiator had his first meeting with UNMIK chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen. The UNMIK chief on many occasions expressed his readiness to offer the mission's support to Ahtisaari in the negotiating process. Ahtisaari will meet the negotiating team tomorrow. The Kosova negotiating team adopted a document on Kosova's position on status in a meeting today. They will pass on the document to Ahtisaari in tomorrow's meeting. Ahtisaari is expected to meet Kfor [NATO-led Kosovo Force], political parties' representatives and representatives of minorities.

After Pristina, Ahtisaari is expected to visit Belgrade, Podgorica, Shkup [Skopje] and Tirana. He will be accompanied by his deputy, Austrian senior diplomat Albert Rohan. His mission will be carried out in the form of shuttle diplomacy. The initial phase will enable him to hear the views of all parties involved in the talks and their views on the resolution of Kosova's status. The 68-year-old Marti Ahtisaari was appointed to chair the Kosova status talks on behalf of the UN following the UN Security Council's green light for this process to begin on 28 October.

Source: KohaVision TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1800 gmt 21 Nov 05

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