Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Kosovo premier vows to insist on independence despite pressure

Excerpt from report in English by independent internet news agency KosovaLive

Prishtina [Pristina], 26 December: Kosova [Kosovo] Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi said that even if the international community insisted on a compromise he would not sign anything less than full independence.

"I will not accept such a thing and believe that other members of the delegation will do the same," Kosumi said in an interview to KosovaLive.

He said that all political parties in the parliament had the mandate to create an independent and sovereign state, and anyone who accepted making a deal on this issue went beyond that mandate. "There is no compromise about independence," Kosumi added.

He emphasized that there were some other issues to be discussed with Serbia, such as religious heritage in Kosova or individual links of Kosova Serbs with Serbia.

As for the status talks and their length, the prime minister said that there was a general consensus between the Contact Group member states, Kosova political factor and the neighbouring countries that this process should not last too long.

The prime minister said that they have achieved significant results in the implementation of standards, stabilization of democracy, privatization, attracting of foreign investments, and economic capacity building. "There is no doubt that we have invested a lot in the fulfilment of our dream," said Kosumi, adding that the beginning of the status talks was a result of the government's work.

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