Following consultations with the big-power Contact Group on Kosovo in Vienna last week, Ahtisaari has postponed a final decision on the future status of Kosovo until after Serbian elections. He will present a proposed solution in the UN Security Council immediately after the elections, which are scheduled for January 21, 2007.
Today's debate at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council showed that some of its new member states, such as Georgia, Moldova and Russia, feared that possible conditional independence for Kosovo might encourage separatist groups in those countries to seek independence, diplomatic sources said.
Also discussed was the OSCE's future role in Kosovo. It was said that the OSCE field mission would have to be reorganised in order to ensure long-term sustainable development and human and minority rights protection regardless of the decision on the future status.