Madam, - Your clear analysis of the Kosovo problem (Editorial, March 28th) reaches the erroneous conclusion that there is no alternative to the independence of the province, as envisaged by the UN's special representative, Martti Ahtisaari. A decision to cut off 15 per cent of a country's territory and give it away is against the UN Charter and the UN Security Council resolution 1244.
It is wrong in principle, and will not lead to long-term stability in the region.
Having said that, it is obvious that a solution must be found. May I suggest a solution that would not fully satisfy either side, but would form a reasonable compromise, which they would grudgingly accept? The first step is to recognise that both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians have legitimate claims in the province. The second is to accept that Albanians will never want to live under Serbian control, nor will Kosovo Serbs ever agree to live under Albanian control. Ahtisaari's "multiethnic society" and guarantees for the minorities account for nothing, as the mass anti-Serb riots of March 2004 showed.
Therefore, and with the goodwill of the true external friends of both Serbs and Albanians, a plan should be agreed that will partition Kosovo-Metohija along its north-east region, allowing the remaining Serbs to move into that area and remain within the borders of the Republic of Serbia, while giving Albanians full, not "conditional" independence of the remainder of the province.
Not the ideal solution; but then, there has been no ideal solution in the region ever since the then local and external politicians planned, instigated and enabled the break-up of former Yugoslavia.
Of all the former republics, Slovenia is the only one which can legitimately claim to be better off than she was in 1990. - Yours, etc,
ZIVKO JAKSIC, Hermitage Lawn, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16,