PRISTINA, Oct 12 (Hina) - A Kosovo delegation will attend the first official Pristina-Belgrade talks on practical issues, due to take place in Vienna on Tuesday, but the Kosovars are participating without a political consensus on the
matter and likely without Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi.
PRISTINA, Oct 12 (Hina) - A Kosovo delegation will attend the first
official Pristina-Belgrade talks on practical issues, due to take
place in Vienna on Tuesday, but the Kosovars are participating
without a political consensus on the matter and likely without
Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi. #L#
President Ibrahim Rugova and parliament speaker Nexhat Daci, both
from the leading Kosovo Albanian party, the Kosovo Democratic
Alliance, have confirmed their attendance. This party has
advocated constructive talks between Pristina and Belgrade on an
equal basis for a long time.
Health Minister Resmija Mumxhiu, from the ranks of Kosovo's non-
Serb minorities, and Milorad Todorevic, coordinator for the return
of displaced Kosovo Serbs, have also confirmed their
participation.
The Kosovo Serb community has said it endorses the Vienna talks.
The Kosovo Democratic Party said late on Saturday it supported the
talks but did not reveal if its representative would attend. PM
Rexhepi, a member of this party, said last night he would not go to
Vienna. On a number of occasions he made his attendance conditional
on a political decision to be made by the Kosovo parliament.
Parliament rejected this twice with the explanation that the talks
were within the government's competence while parliament could
only ratify any accords which might be reached in Vienna.
The third Kosovo Albanian leader, Alliance for Kosovo's Future
president Ramush Haradinaj, is determined not to go to Vienna. He
has said that in the current circumstances, the talks will be
damaging for Kosovo.
Most smaller Kosovo Albanian political parties, known for their
extreme views, object to the Vienna talks.
The Party for National Unity said on Sunday it resolutely opposed
such talks as long as Kosovo was not independent nor an
internationally recognised country.
The Kosovo People's Movement, which has one seat in parliament and
which operated illegally before international peacekeepers came to
Kosovo in 1999, said today it would stage protest rallies in
Pristina on Tuesday.
The international community, primarily the local U.N. mission,
attaches great importance to the first official talks between
Pristina and Belgrade.
Local commentators believe, however, that next week's talks do not
necessarily mean Pristina-Belgrade dialogue will really start.
(hina) ha