[ Kosova-o ]

Despite wild debates on the EU budget and on enlargement, the EU member states seem to agree that the EU will take a "leading role" in Kosovo after the status is defined, as has been discussed in the last months. A report by EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn claims that the EU is ready to take over responsibilities currently held by UNMIK in the fields of justice and rule of law, policy, social and economic development. The EU would further provide an adminstrator (following the model of Bosnia-Herzegovina), but without replacing UNMIK.

Let us hope that these committments will not be abandoned when the EU will have to pay the bill...
According to the Solana-Rehn report, the future EU mission in Kosovo will be the most expensive to date (cf. article by the ISN Security Watch).

Meanwhile, the Kosovo status talks are continuing "behind closed doors". Last Wednesday Serbian President Boris

Tadic and Kosovar Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi met for the first time face-to-face in London.

They are said to have shaken hands, but without speaking a word.

The Kosovo negotiation team has recently made a move to integrate the minority communities into the negotiation process, through an Advisory Council of Communities, chaired by Veton Surroi.