ALBANIAN-SERB TALKS IN KOSOVO END WITHOUT RESULTS

PRISTINA, Oct 17 (Hina) - The first meeting of Kosovo Albanian and Serb political leaders ended on Wednesday evening in Pristina without concrete results. The closed-door meeting, which was organised by the US Institute for inter-ethnic relations and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, was attended, among else, by Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaqi, Rada Trajkovic, and Serbian Vice-Premier Nebojsa Covic. Allen Kasof, a representative of the US Institute, and Daan Everts, head of the OSCE Mission, said after the meeting it was not certain if the Serbs would participate in the upcoming elections in the province and that they had reservations towards requests to participate. Covic wanted to see positive steps regarding the issue of missing persons, prisoners, Serbs' return to Kosovo, general security and education at all levels, Everts said. The Serbian vice-premier said the conditions set at today's meeting were unfavourable for Serbs and they currently had no stand on participation in the vote. The leader of the Alliance for Kosovo's Future, Ramush Haradinaj, welcomed the start of the talks but refused to participate in the part of the meeting which was attended by Covic, saying the Serbian government could not interfere in Kosovo's internal affairs, but his party was willing to meet Kosovo Serb representatives. (hina) rml