VIENNA VIENNA, Oct 14 (Hina) - The first face-to-face talks between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo since the 1999 war ended in Vienna on Tuesday with an agreement to establish four working groups, but without true dialogue
between the two sides, representatives of the international community, the European Union and the Serbian and Albanian sides told reporters.
VIENNA, Oct 14 (Hina) - The first face-to-face talks between
representatives of Serbia and Kosovo since the 1999 war ended in
Vienna on Tuesday with an agreement to establish four working
groups, but without true dialogue between the two sides,
representatives of the international community, the European Union
and the Serbian and Albanian sides told reporters. #L#
The meeting was not just speeches, but it was not dialogue either.
It was the first step that should lead to a real dialogue, said the
EU commissioner for external relations, Chris Patten.
The EU high representative for the common foreign and security
policy, Javier Solana, expressed hope that words of reconciliation
between the Serbian and Albanian sides would be possible.
We have recently seen and heard words of apology and reconciliation
between Serbia and Croatia. That was very encouraging. I don't see
any reason why this shouldn't happen in the future between Serbia
and Kosovo, Solana added.
At the meeting, representatives of Serbia, Kosovo Albanians, the
international community, NATO, OSCE and the Contact Group agreed to
set up four working groups to deal with the return of refugees,
missing persons, energy supply, transport and communications, the
UN civil administrator of Kosovo, Harri Holkeri, said.
Holkeri said that the working groups would start working next
month, and would meet both in Pristina and in Belgrade.
(hina) vm sb