RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 194, Part II, 10 October 2003

 

STILL NO MANDATE FOR KOSOVAR DELEGATION FOR TALKS WITH BELGRADE. On 9
October, Kosova's parliament declined to take up the subject of
approving a mandate for Kosova's delegation to the 14 October Vienna
talks with Belgrade because many deputies said that the negotiations
are not important for Kosova, RFE/RL reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
3, 8, and 9 October 2003, and "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 1 August and 26
September 2003). Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi repeated his position
that he will attend the opening ceremony in the Austrian capital but
will not negotiate without a mandate. EU foreign and security policy
chief Javier Solana stressed that the talks will go ahead regardless
of the stands taken by the individual participants. Harri Holkeri,
who heads UNMIK, said time is running out but did not set a deadline
for the parties to agree, adding that "the door is open." PM