"Kosovo now has its own, democratically elected institutions and can negotiate with Belgrade in the presence of representatives of the international community without which the status of Kosovo cannot be settled," Mesic said in an interview with the Kosovo broadcasting corporation on Tuesday, stressing that a settlement should be reached as soon as possible.
Mesic highlighted the need to ensure protection of national minorities in Kosovo, which he said was the obligation of the ethnic Albanians as a majority population in the UN-administered territory.
The Croatian president also said he expected the settlement of the status of Kosovo to bring prosperity to all of its citizens, including the Croatian minority living there.