Brussels, 24/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - Kosovo's declaration of independence was at the heart of discussions, but no date was announced by Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci following meetings with Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU High Representative for the CFSP Javier Solana in Brussels on Thursday 24 January.
Rehn “assured Mr Thaci about the European Commission's and the EU's commitment to the European future of Kosovo and of our readiness to provide significant help to build a sustainable multi-ethnic society,” said Rehn's spokeswoman. On the status of Kosovo, the EU reiterated its preference for a coordinated process, she added, declining to say whether a date for the declaration had been discussed. “It is an issue of days”, Thaci, nonetheless, told journalists after his meeting with Solana.
On the European side, there is a refusal to say more, even though the preparations for the EU civilian mission to Kosovo are continuing. In a resolution adopted on 22 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the EU to do all it could to adopt a common position in the event of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. In a speech delivered on the same day at the PACE, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány said he also wanted the EU to grant Serbia “credible and tangible” European prospects. He argued for “a road map on the liberalisation of the visa regime and the granting of candidate status within a reasonable timeframe, provided the necessary criteria are met”. (A.B.)