Kosovo negotiators agree on legal justification for independence

Text of report by Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 4 January

[Announcer] The Kosova [Kosovo] strategic political group [KSPG] of the negotiation team continued its discussion on the preparation of the five basic documents that will be handed to the UN special envoy for Kosova status talks, Martti Ahtisaari, during the first half of January. The KSPG agreed today on two documents that have been labelled the most important tomes, the one on decentralization and reforms of the local government and the legal justification for Kosova's independence.

[Reporter] Minister of Local Government Lutfi Haziri prepared the first document and the new plan for reforms of local government. The coordinator of the working groups of the negotiation team for Kosova's status, Blerim Shala, said that this document will be ready next week. According to Shala the proposal of the Kosovar side regarding decentralization will not allow division inside or outside of Kosova.

[Blerim Shala] No one is interested in having another Bosnia. We are going to be persistent in our proposal. The international community, Ahtisaari's group and we have in common these red lines. There can be no division of Kosova, there can be no inner division with cantonization or the creation of a Serb entity and there will be no forming of a government that is not functional.

[Reporter] At today's meeting the KSPG also discussed the preparations for drawing up the document that will contain the legal justification for Kosova's independence. According to Shala the Kosovar delegation will be ready for the upcoming meeting with Martti Ahtisaari, expected to be held by the end of the month.

Source: RTK TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1830 gmt 4 Jan 06