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| Belgrade proposes Hong Kong model for Kosovo |
| EK, 06.11.2007 |
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| A former British colony could provide the answer to Kosovo's final status, Serbian leaders suggested on Monday. But the Kosovo Albanian side immediately rejected the idea, calling it inappropriate.
By Igor Jovanovic in Belgrade and Bekim Greicevci in Pristina - 06/11/07
Hong Kong's status within China could be used as a model for the broad autonomy Serbia is offering Kosovo, Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said during the latest round of direct talks Monday (November 5th). The suggestion came in response to Kosovo Albanian officials' objections that the autonomy proposal is too abstract.
Serbia "is offering the Kosovo Albanians more than any ethnic minority in any country has ever been offered", Kostunica said. He rejected a 14-point proposal submitted by the EU-Russia-United States troika that is sponsoring the talks, saying it implied relations between two independent states.
Tadic said the talks should focus on one basic principle -- how to accelerate progress on the road to Europe. "Public threats, artificial deadlines and manipulation by means of fear will not contribute to resolving the issue we are negotiating," the Serbian president said, welcoming what he described as the "calmer tones" that have emerged recently within the international community.
Kosovo's status could be similar to that of Hong Kong, Tadic suggested. The former British colony, transferred to China in 1997, was given a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years, under the so-called "one country, two systems" policy.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders, however, immediately dismissed the idea as inappropriate.
"Hong Kong and Kosovo have nothing in common. It is a confusing proposal that cannot function in reality," spokesman Skender Hyseni told journalists.
According to Blerim Shala, a member of the Kosovo negotiating team, the latest round simply showed more than ever that the chances of reaching a deal are non-existent.
"Even if we were to talk for 120 years there will be no agreement between Pristina and Belgrade," he said.
Russia's representative in the troika, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, conceded that prospects for a compromise are slim. Ideas are being floated, he said, but are not leading to a solution.
"I cannot say that the propositions discussed will help breach the gap," Botsan-Kharchenko said.
The troika members said they would "keep looking at several status solutions" based on their 14-point proposal. The next meeting is to be held in Brussels on November 20th.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com
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![Foto : Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica (left) and Serbian President Boris Tadic talk to reporters after Monday's (November 5th) talks on Kosovo's status in Vienna. [Getty Images]](/foto//f_00743_m.jpg)