Speaking to reporters at the end of his three-day visit to Kosovo, during which he talked to members of Kosovo's negotiating team, representatives of Serbs and other minorities and international officials, Ahtisaari said he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the talks or their duration. He stressed the importance of cooperation between all sides involved in the negotiations and warned that individuals and groups preventing progress in the negotiating process would be excluded from it.
The UN official said the talks would be difficult, but expressed hope that they would be successful.
The UN Secretary-General will have an important role in the process of adoption of a decision on Kosovo's status, with the Security Council having the last say, Ahtisaari said.
He pointed to the need to maintain stability in the province during the negotiations and called on Kosovars to implement international standards in order to facilitate the talks.