Monday, August 07, 2006

Vienna: Negotiations on Kosovo's future without progress, Serbs say will boycott second day of talks

ZAGREB/VIENNA, Aug 7 (Hina) - The first day of the eighth round of negotiations on the future of Kosovo ended in in Vienna on Monday evening without a consent on decentralisation and the forming of new predominantly Serb-populated municipalities.

The Serbian delegation said on Monday evening it would boycott the second day of the negotiations in Palais Auersperg, saying that for them it is unacceptable that the UN listed the protection of the rights of the Serb minority on the agenda. Belgrade insists that this issue be discussed at the final phase of the negotiations.

The first day of the negotiations, held under the auspices of the UN, focused on the authority of the new Serbian communities within the southern Serbian province, which has been under administration of the United Nations since 1999.

Administration of the school system, the health system and the social system were also among topics of negotiations, as were

the regulations of filling positions at the police and the courts.

Unfortunately I must say that the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina only confirmed their previous positions, UN mediator Bernhard Schlageck said, adding that some progress in achieving compromise regarding the nomination of municipal police chiefs was made.

No comments: