Ahtisaari postpones Kosovo settlement proposal until 2007

Martti Ahtisaari, the United Nations Finnish special envoy for Kosovo, has postponed the announcement of his proposal for the settlement of Kosovo's future status until after the January 21st parliamentary elections in Serbia.
     
Ahtisaari made his statement in Vienna on Friday after talks with the representatives of the International Contact Group, which includes Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United States.
      Initially, Ahtisaari was to announce his settlement proposal by the end of the current year. However, he had indicated already earlier that the decision could be delayed because of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia.
     
The contents of Ahtisaari's statement have not been officially revealed. According to some information, he would propose that some kind of "preliminary independence" should be granted to Kosovo. This means that the country would have an independent representative in various international organisations without nominal independence.
      Apparently, this would also imply that Kosovo could not have a full-scale military force of its own for a number of years and that the NATO-led international Kosovo Force (KFOR) would remain in the area for a good while to come, whereas Kosovo's civil administration would be transferred from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the European Union.
     
According to this Bosnia-style plan, Kosovo's administration would be gradually transferred to the local authorities, while the contribution of the province's Serbian minority would be slight. However, the northern city of Mitrovica as well as the Serb communities north of the city would continue to be both the target and the source of disturbances.
      The reactions to the delay have been mixed in Serbia and Kosovo. While Serbia strongly opposes the potential independence of Kosovo, the Albanian majority in the province is reported to be on the brink of declaring independence on their own.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ahtisaari and the fourth chair (3.10.2006)
  Mediator Martti Ahtisaari´s efforts receive full support from West in Kosovo talks (22.9.2006)

Links:
  The Crisis Management Initiative (CMI)
  Kosovo Force (KOR)
  United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)