Lehne, Ahtisaari in Kosovo to press for standards implementation, agreement on decentralisation

23/08/2006

Kosovo's leaders need to show their commitment to a multiethnic society and make concessions on minority rights, EU envoy for Kosovo Stefan Lehne said ahead of a visit by the UN's Martti Ahtisaari.

By Blerta Foniqi for Southeast European Times in Pristina – 23/08/06

EU special envoy Stefan Lehne arrived in Pristina on Tuesday (22 August). [File]

The EU's special envoy for Kosovo, Stefan Lehne, arrived in Pristina on Tuesday (22 August) to urge leaders to make more progress in implementing UN-set standards. "Fulfillment of the standards is the key to achievement of final status," he said.

He held talks with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. These meetings were closed to reporters.

After talks with Democratic Party leader Hashim Thaci, however, Lehne spoke to local media. "Kosovo leaders need to continue their efforts to reach out to Kosovo minorities and make it clear to them that Kosovo is committed to a multiethnic society," he said.

UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari -- due in Pristina on Wednesday -- will press the Kosovo side to come up with a more generous position on minority rights, Lehne said. The visit comes amid intensified efforts to reach a solution on decentralisation, with Kosovo representatives and four teams of UN experts meeting to iron out the thorniest issues.

Ahtisaari will bring "clear messages" for the Kosovo negotiating team, he added, describing the UN envoy's visit as very significant. The process of determining Kosovo's final status is in its last phase, he said.

For his part, Thaci stressed the importance of engagement with the EU, especially as the status process wraps up.

"We are interested in finding a solution in this year. Indeed, we are interested in accelerating this process. I believe that all of the obligations that we have as the Kosovar side will be finalised in time, and concretely. This will gain the respect of the Kosovo's citizens as well as the international community," Thaci said.