Friday, June 16, 2006

BREAKING NEWS: Kosovo's President, PM to meet US Secretary of State Rice during visit to US next week

PRISTINA, Serbia (AP) - Kosovo's top leaders travel to Washington next week to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the president's office said Friday.

President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Agim Ceku are to meet Rice on Monday, said Muhamet Hamiti, the president's adviser.

Sejdiu will visit the United States for the first time since he was elected in February, succeeding Kosovo's late President Ibrahim Rugova, who died of lung cancer earlier this year.

During his trip, Sejdiu will meet other officials in the State Department and the White House, the statement said. Ceku is also scheduled to attend a regular U.N. Security Council meeting on the province on June 20.

Kosovo, formally a province of Serbia, has been administered by the United Nations since NATO's 1999 air war forced Serb forces to end a crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanians and relinquish control over the region.

Talks to determine Kosovo's future -- whether it becomes an independent state or remains attached to Serbia -- are under way and are aimed at steering the two sides toward settling the province's status by the end of the year.

Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo insist on full independence, while the minority Serbs and Belgrade want the province to remain within Serbia.

The negotiation process is led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and the United States have appointed an envoy in the process.

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