Serb, Kosovar leaders meet to map future
Vienna, Austria ? Serb and Kosovar leaders reluctantly met Monday for the first time since NATO bombs drove Serb forces out of the Albanian majority province in 1999.
A United Nations special envoy called the meeting, in the officially neutral city of Vienna, to make progress on Kosovo’s future status: Kosovars want independence, and Serbia opposes division.
Post-meeting statements made clear that the two sides are far apart and cast doubt on a negotiated solution. Kosovars and Serbs refused to appear together at the press conference following the meeting; each staged their own briefing with their own translators.
Asked if there was any sign of a future deal between the two sides, U.N. special envoy Martti Ahtisaari, said, “No, I would be lying if I said so.”
“They are as far apart as possible: Belgrade would accept everything but independence, while Kosovo Albanians will accept nothing but the independence,” Ahtisaari said.