Kosovo talks team's Thaci, Surroi tell US envoy sovereignty is nonnegotiable

Prishtina [Pristina], 2 February: All the issues related to internal functioning of Kosova [Kosovo] will be discussed during the negotiations for the future status, but not Kosova's sovereignty.

PDK [Democratic Party of Kosovo] chairman Hashim Thaci and Hour chairman Veton Surroi made those comments following their meetings with the United States special envoy for Kosova's status, Frank Wisner.

Surroi said that the message that Ambassador Wisner brought in Prishtina is encouraging because it reflects the debate of the Contact Group in London which, according to him, is an evidence of international community's commitment for moving the status process forward.

Surroi evaluated positively the statement of the Contact Group, which he said that favours the Kosovar side. Now Kosovar side, according to him, needs only be more engaged for achieving of results and acceleration of the process.

Although, according to leader of the Hour, negotiation process has two tracks. "The track of mediation and the track of functionality of the state," Surroi said.

According to him, in terms of functionality of the state, Kosovar party has significant stagnation. "Unfortunately, we have stagnation here even though we are at a critical moment, but this society, I believe, has capacities and maturity to address these issues of internal functioning, too," he said.

While, Hashim Thaci said that he reconfirmed to Ambassador Wisner that Kosovar party is ready to debate all the issues related to the functionality of Kosova's state, but not its sovereignty.

"We will discuss and implement all the necessary democratic priorities like guarantees and respecting of minorities' rights, reformation of local power, and cooperation with all the neighbouring countries, but above everything else, we cannot negotiate Kosova's sovereignty," Thaci said.

With the work and commitment of Kosovar party, Thaci added, the US and the European Union will be convinced that "two million citizens of Kosova deserve to have their independent and sovereign state". Thaci guaranteed that Kosova's friends, Americans and Europeans, will not be disappointed for that.

Leader of the PDK expressed the optimism that year 2006 will be the decisive year for independent Kosova.

"On the other hand, I agree completely with Ambassador Wisner, who said something that we have emphasized, too, and that is that a country is either independent or it is not independent. There will be no midway solution; rather, there will be a solution with full independence," Thaci said.

According to him, Ambassador Wisner introduced the stances of the US Government "for considering the will of Kosovar citizens".

Asked whether the issue of the leader of Negotiations Team is solved, Thaci said that firstly, the morning days should pass, and then the issue will be solved.

"The consensus in Kosova is reached through compromise, and compromise implies unification of the ruling parties and the opposition, and I believe that this will happen in a near future, but everyone should understand that Kosova is still in mourn," Thaci said.

Source: KosovaLive website, Pristina, in English 2 Feb 06