2007 Press Releases

Press Availability with Ambassador Frank Wisner
(following meeting with Unity Team)
Kosovo Assembly Building
February 5, 2007, 10:50am
Transcript

President Fatmir Sejdiu – I welcome Ambassador Wisner, the Special Envoy of the United States of America for the negotiation process in Kosovo. I can honestly say that we had an extremely good conversation, as always, where we had the opportunity to exchange opinions on this last phase of negotiations. On this occasion, I may say that we have, and we will have, a continuous cooperation with the United States of America for a speedy and quality process, and for implementing what we say there together, according to the will of the majority but also continuously having special consideration for the accommodation of all the minorities in Kosovo. We will work for a Kosovo that belongs to everyone and on this occasion I can say that this period requires a very close cooperation in order to move forward quickly, especially now after the presentation of the proposal by President Ahtisaari, and we have declared to Ambassador Wisner today as well that we are willing to give our full contribution in terms of additional engagement with the complete wish for quickly moving forward towards the other steps in the decision-making process, with respect to the UN Security Council, in order to open a new chapter of developments to solve the future of Kosovo. I personally thank Ambassador Wisner for this, for his permanent engagement here in Kosovo and elsewhere in the world on behalf of Kosovo, and I wish him great and continuous success.

Wisner – thank you. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your remarks and my respects and thanks as well to the Unity Team for an excellent meeting which we have just conducted. It has been my purpose to come to Kosovo today to meet with the leadership and to convey the best wishes of the United States Government. We are delighted that events have reached this stage, that President Ahtisaari has put his proposal on the table, the United States believes that this is an excellent proposal, it deserves full support and we also extend our hopes and encouragement to all parties to take advantage of President Ahtisaari’s invitation to engage in discussions in Vienna and in capitals in weeks ahead before the proposal takes final form and goes to the United Nations. My congratulations, and my best wishes, Mr. President.  I also had an opportunity this morning to underscore the view of the United States that this proposal opens the way to a new beginning for Kosovo, for a peaceful, stable, viable prosperous nation, one that will offer full security and opportunity to all its people of whatever community. For this reason, the proposal deserves careful study, but basically all of our support, and the United States looks forward to being associated with you during your deliberations, Mr. President, working with you as your government carries out the necessary steps to take on the responsibilities of UNMIK to prepare institutions, to look forward to the drafting of a constitution. But to you ladies and gentlemen of the press, I express a special wish on the part of Americans, it falls to you to help the Unity Team and this government and all of us explain a complicated proposal to the people of Kosovo, to translate its provisions, its intentions, its purposes, fairly and openly to the people of Kosovo. I make that request to all of you and I hope that I can count on your cooperation.

Mr President, much lies ahead in the weeks before you in the negotiations and eventually in the Security Council, and you have the best wishes of the United States as well as the certainty of our continued cooperation. Thank you Mr. President, I appreciate it.

Question: Mr. Wisner you said that this proposal is a new beginning for Kosovo, what do you imply by that? Second question, the negotiations that will be conducted in Vienna – what points will be open for changes by the parties, how much can this document be changed?

Wisner – When I speak of a new beginning I mean by that, the document outlines where Kosovo will be in the future, how communities will live with one another, what the structures of a Kosovo will be and what the relationship between Kosovo and the international community will be. We are starting towards the future; this is truly a new beginning. Now that’s it; the document is on the table for discussion, all parties have been asked to read it, understand it, comment on it and change it. I said I think it’s a very good proposal and it is a very good proposal. That’s the view of the United States, but there is much inside of it that needs to be understood, reflected on, and President Ahtisaari is fully open to changes or discussions about the municipalities that will be the bedrock of government, about the relationship with churches or cultural institutions, about the competencies of government institutions. These can all be looked at and refined so that the language is right and sustainable. We have to work for an outcome that will produce a viable government and a viable, sustainable environment for the political future of this great land.

Question: Mr. Ahtisaari emphasized his intent for a fair and balanced solution. In the future talks in Vienna, how much space will there be under these balances to move towards giving the substance the name of independence, of course including the guarantees for the Serbs – for that part of the Kosovo citizens who have hesitations for the time being to accept the independence of Kosovo?

Wisner – Mr. President, you gave me all the tough questions.  Let me answer this in two ways. The document flows from a set of principles defined in the very first days by those nations who care about your future and are involved in its development. Those principles are amply reflected in the Ahtisaari proposal, among those principles is respect for the security and rights of every community in Kosovo. The maintenance of the territorial integrity of Kosovo is clear in this document, the borders that we know are the borders that will be, and on this point the United States and the members of the Contact Group are firm. Now you ask about independence, I believe you put a similar question to Mr. Ahtisaari. Let’s let Mr. Ahtisaari finish his work. He will go to the United Nations Security Council and I can assure you that he will address this issue at the right moment, at the moment he presents his proposal. Right now there is a vitally important job to be done, you must get it right for Kosovo, you must get the institutions, structures of your future sorted out in a manner that can be sustained: that’s the work for today. Then Mr. Ahtisaari will go to the United Nations and he will make his proposal, I doubt that you will be terribly disappointed.

Question – Mr. Wisner what will happen with the process if the Belgrade delegation doesn’t come to Vienna?

Wisner – it is my understanding that President Ahtisaari intends to hold talks in Vienna on the 13^th. He has invited all the parties to come to the table. If anyone chooses not to attend, that’s his decision, but President Ahtisaari will be there, the table will be open and the discussions will begin there.

Question – Mr. Wisner if the Russians have claimed that they have disagreements about the status of Kosovo, how will you overcome those disagreements? Are we going to have a showdown in the Security Council…? (largely inaudible)

Wisner – you used some dramatic words, I recommend that you go back to the core fact. We and our friends in Moscow began the deliberations over the future of Kosovo together. It is the intention of the United States to continue that cooperative practice as it has been maintained over the months in the Contact Group and bring this issue to a conclusion in a cooperative manner. I personally will be traveling to Moscow at the end of the week to continue discussions with the Russian side and I will be making the point that what was begun together should end together.

Question – How can Mr. Ahtisaari’s proposal be changed during the next talks in Vienna?

Wisner – I wish I could answer that, that depends on what changes are put on the table. Mr. President it is my understanding that on your side, that there are important points to be addressed and considered and I can assure you that President Ahtisaari will take those issues into account and do whatever is necessary, and what he can do to make them work. Let’s remember this agreement is based on a series of fine balances, the need for a viable future … that has in hand the aspirations of your people. The need to provide assurances to all communities about their safety, their security, their future and the need to take into account the necessary support that will come, needs to come, from my country and Europe. An agreement of this nature is about balance and I respectfully suggest that the changes reflect and are able to sustain that delicate balance that will be listened to with great appreciation and taken into account.