Brussels, 19/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On paper, the EU still believes in a negotiated settlement of Kosovo's future status. In the “General Affairs” Council draft conclusions due for approval on Monday 19 November, EU foreign affairs ministers reiterated their support for the international troika and the European representative, Wolfgang Ischinger. They are also calling on the two parties to step up negotiations and demonstrate greater “flexibility”. A new direct negotiating session between the Serbs and Albanian Kosvars will take place on Tuesday 20 November in Brussels. The EU's High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, declared that there would still be two more negotiating meetings. “We have to wait till 10 December to see the Troika report”, explained Solana. Off centre state, the EU is actively preparing for the failure of negotiations and Kosovo's declaration of independence, an option that appears to be unavoidable after this weekend's victory of the independence supporter, Hashim Thaci in the parliamentary elections in this Serbian province. The former head of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is committed to “immediately” declaring independence after 10 December.
If the Troika is unable to forge a negotiated settlement between the Serbs and Albanian Kosovars (Ischinger explained to journalists on Monday that the Troika had, “explored almost all the humanly possible options” to find a compromise but without success), the EU would like, nonetheless, to ensure that Kosovo's declaration of independence is done in a way that is coordinated with the international community and not unilaterally, hastily or abruptly. Even the main defenders of the Kosovan cause in the EU insisted on this on Monday. The British minister for European affairs, Jim Murphy, affirmed on Monday that, “Kosovo should have her independence but it shouldn't be an unmanaged unilateral declaration. It should be one that is coordinated with the international community”. The Luxembourg foreign affairs minister, Jean Asselborn, also said that a unilateral declaration of independence would be a “very bad thing” and informed the press that they were doing everything to convince the Kosovars to no proceed to a unilateral declaration of independence without the support of the international community. Carl Bildt from Sweden warned Pristina against any unilateral action that would isolate an independent Kosovo on the international scene. According to diplomats, the EU is over the next few days expected to attempt to work with the new Kosovan leader, Hashim Thaci and update an appropriate calendar for a “controlled” process towards independence, with guarantees on respect for the Serbian minority. (H.B.)