UN urges Serbs to enter talks on Kosovo's future

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO: The United Nations' administrator for Kosovo urged Serbia's leaders yesterday to prepare for talks on the region's status with its ethnic Albanian politicians, in meetings that were marred by reports of a brutal attack on an elderly Serb couple in the province.

"We are moving into some very important months for the future of Kosovo, for the future of the region," said Soren Jessen-Petersen after a two-day visit to Belgrade.

He said he detected "a clear readiness" in Serb president Boris Tadic for negotiations with Kosovo's Albanian leaders, and that nationalist Serb prime minister Vojislav Kostunica did not explicitly reject such discussions.

Kosovo's Albanian majority wants independence from Serbia-Montenegro, but Belgrade is only willing to offer broad autonomy to a region that has been run by the UN since 1999, when Nato bombing ended a Serb crackdown on Albanian rebels.

About 10,000 people died in the conflict, which was followed by an exodus of Serbs who became the targets of reprisals.

Mr Jessen-Petersen said discussions on Kosovo's final status could start as early as September, providing the province meets a set of UN standards on human rights, minority rights and security by June or July.

"Just four months ago I did not feel Belgrade was focused that the status talks would happen this year," he said. "The very focus on that I consider a welcome development." He also praised the resumption of direct talks between Serb and ethnic Albanian officials who met recently to discuss the fate of hundreds of people still missing since the war.

"Direct dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a good basis to build up confidence and trust."

Serb media - most of which is staunchly anti-Albanian - reported yesterday that Nedeljko and Nevenka Vucic, both over 70 years of age, had been viciously attacked by "a gang of Albanians" in northern Kosovo. A local doctor said that Nedeljko had suffered broken ribs, damaged lungs and had an ear cut off, while his wife Nevenka sustained head and chest injuries.